Self-renewal in nursing leadership: the lived experience of caring for self

Nurse leaders are often vulnerable to stress as experienced in the workenvironment, including long hours, patient overloads, and challenging work settings. If ignored, these stressors may lead to physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms with possible resulting medical errors, absenteeism, health challenges, and job burnout.

This study was designed to assess the meaning of caring for self by registered nurse leaders who had participated in a holistic caring-for-self project.

Hermeneutic phenomenology was the research method used in this study to explore the lived experience of caring for self from the perspective of 10 nursing leaders. Individual taped interviews were conducted with the participants in a private room in their work setting, a 185-bed community hospital.

The nursing leaders communicated four common themes: Reflections on the Journey of Life, Why to Care for Self on the Journey, How to Care for Self on the Journey, and the Wisdom Learned Along the Path.

Based on the reflections of the nursing leaders, recommendations include implementing creative, holistic methods to encourage self-renewal in the work environment.