Self-Care Plan Assignment

Assignment Description: Self-care is personal and takes time and practice. Nurses/nursing

students experience numerous personal, academic, and practice-related stressors, impacting their

mental health. Self-care has the potential to enhance nurses’ ability to manage current stressors

and to build capacity for addressing future stress and burnout. Students will incorporate

evidence-based research or theoretical evidence that supports their selected self-care strategies

and reflect on implications of utilizing these strategies for their mental health.

Instructions: Students will include and articulate their own tailored self-care strategies via a

written plan and/or through development of an optional creative component, which is highly

encouraged (i.e., video, art, PowerPoint, poetry, concept map, etc.) to be uploaded to NURS 437

D2L Brightspace assignment drop box. For students who choose not to complete a creative

component, the written form of the assignment is a plan to include a personal written reflection

(no greater than 1 page). Students who complete a creative component are required to also

submit a brief written reflection (1-2 paragraphs) to accompany the creative work and to describe

the evidence base for their selected self-care strategies. Students must adhere to proper

Writing Mechanics, APA formatting, and include 1-2 evidence-based research journal

findings/citations within self-care plan to support self-care strategies.

1. Perform a self-assessment: The first step to building a valuable care plan is assessment,

like that of the nursing process you are all familiar with. Think about what self-care

means to you in the context of your professional identify. How does the research

literature define self-care? Self-assessment should include more than physical

considerations but also spiritual, emotional, financial, psychological, and social. Reflect

upon whether you have any shortfalls in those areas of your life, both personally and

professionally. What are your priorities and are you spending time on things that are

important to you? What brings joy to your life? Are you currently practicing self-care?

Are your current strategies helpful?

2. Diagnose your areas for improvement: Determine the areas you would like to focus on

for growth and improvement. Reflect upon why it is important for healthcare

Professionals to understand and engage in self-care practices? Identify the underlying

issue knowing that other problems can manifest, hoping to identify the root of the issue

versus the symptom.

3. Develop self-care plan and intervention(s): Create a plan for 1-2 of your areas for

improvement (#2) and growth including personal care strategies documented in the

literature to support personal and professional resilience. Reflect upon advantages for

healthcare professionals to address mental health practices. Set measurable and attainable

short- and long-term goals for yourself. Short-term goals allow you to celebrate small

victories to keep you motivated. Offer yourself a variety of different approaches and

activities that take differing amounts of effort and time, such as:

Physical: annual physicals, cancer screenings, healthy eating, sleep, exercise, or

stretching

Emotional: imagery or relaxation techniques, positive internal thoughts and dialogue,

mindfulness, socialization, or books and activities that promote joy

Spiritual: nature, random acts of kindness, prayer, religious community, meditation or

yoga, or positive mantras

Social: journaling, boundaries between work and home life, time with loved ones, time

for relaxation, or community groups

Financial: living fiscally responsibly, preparing for emergencies, budgeting, or

borrowing or buying second hand instead of new

Psychological: coloring or making something, play and playfulness, or activities that

bring you joy and stimulate your mind

4. Implement your plan/creative component: Start small and remember to always be kind

to yourself. Schedule self-care activities on your calendar. Involve friends and/or family,

etc., to keep yourself accountable. Just like our patients need a support system through

their illness and wellness journey, we need support on our self-care journey.