Caring for the caregiver: expanding ways of knowing through experiments in self-care

Graduate nursing students in a required course on concepts and processes of health and healing had the option to do an experiment in self-care. Included were exercises related to biofeedback, aesthetics, diet/nutrition, dreams, ethnicity, fairytales, values, physical exercise, ultradian rhythms, journaling, and a self-care practice of choice. Feedback on the exercises indicated that, based on group means, the values exercise was the most difficult. Students reported they would be most likely to continue using aesthetics and physical exercise, awareness of ultradian rhythms, and their personally preferred self-care activity. These exercises were also the ones they would be most likely to suggest to clients.