Self Care for End of Life Workers

AUSTIN, Texas - July 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Support for self-care among workers who serve the dying is not as popular as you may think. It seems obvious that for hospice workers, hospital workers, firefiighters, paramedics and others in the healthcare world that taking very good care of ourselves would be a given, understood by all and supported by our employers.

Instead, often people who are vocal about this are labeled "emotionally fragile." In healthcare we are encouraged to volunteer to work more shifts for the team due to insufficient staffing. People in demanding jobs are working 12 hour + shifts, days in a row. Where are our limits?

One week 6 people died who I had been caring for when I was a hospice RN Case Manager. I could not slow down that week because we did not have enough prn staff to assist and we had a lot going on.To ut it in perspective, it is not unusual to have 1 - 3 deaths per week at times; but, rarely do you have 6 within 48 hours.

There has only been one time in my 15 years as a hospice nurse that the agency offered debriefing. This was the week a 2 year old died in our care. The staff that worked with the child the most met for less than an hour with a staff social worker.

I've walked into major hospitals and passed McDonalds restaurants attached to the hospital. Really? How does your agency support your self care? How do you deeply nourish your mind/body/spirit/energy as you serve?

Craig Williams, L.A.c., Clinical Herbalist AHG, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Author, Health Coach, and so much more shares the hour with me discussing this deep topic. I've been working with him since September; he's kind, wise, brilliant and has helped me to turn my life around to put it mildly! Visit his website at: http://www.ayurvedaaustin.com/index.html


For more information on EOL Doula Certificate Program information, please visit: www.AccompanyingTheDying.com