Experiences Of Self-care Research Articles

An educational intervention to enhance self-care practices among 1st year dental students- a mixed method study design

BackgroundPrevalence of rising stress among medical students has been reported widely and may jeopardize patient interaction and care. Evolving medical education needs to demonstrate compassionate self-care practices to enhance mental well-being of students. Although numerous researches have highlighted the stressors and coping strategies but no structured educational intervention has been reported so far among medical students of Pakistan. Hence, we explored if a Personal Development Plan could stimulate meaningful self-reflection and self-care practices among dental students.MethodsAll first-year dental students of Riphah International University participated in this mandatory lesson plan. This 1-h activity every fortnightly, consisted of a thought-provoking discussion with predetermined reading material followed by SMART goal settings & later follow ups. Students were divided into 4 groups of 18–20 students with a designated trained Mentor. At the end of academic year, students were asked to submit a 500-word reflection based on their experience of understanding self-care needs (intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual aspects).A mixed-methods embedded design was used. First a quantitative analysis of the content of all 75 students' reflections was conducted using a scoring system based on the REFLECT rubric. Then for the qualitative manual thematic analysis, the researchers exclusively used reflections that scored levels 3 and 4 on the REFLECT rubric.ResultsApproximately 60% of students demonstrated an in-depth thoughtful reflection according to the REFLECT rubric. Students reflected by acknowledging the importance of self-care for their personal and professional grooming, Some observed the positive impact of working on self-determined healthy lifestyle behaviours on their physical & emotional wellbeing. They stressed the importance of physical activity, meditation and social connections in their daily life. They also reflected on reduced stress after incorporating these self-care strategies.ConclusionsThis study supports the value of incorporating self-care strategies in medical/dental curriculum to enhance personal and professional wellbeing of students and hence patient care. Students reflected on different themes of self-care related to physical, spiritual and social wellbeing. In addition, more than half of the students exhibited higher levels of reflection suggesting that these sessions contributed to action-oriented self-awareness towards holistic health.

Self-care is a social justice issue: social work students’ themes of social injustice within their self-care experiences

ABSTRACT Self-care, though inconsistently defined, has come to be regarded as an ethical professional responsibility for social workers and a workforce issue. How to teach self-care to social work students as part of their professional readiness training is becoming more widely discussed and researched. An investigational study of 85 social work students (BSW = 33, MSW = 52) at a public Midwestern university examined their learned and lived experiences of self-care. General inductive analysis brought forward three themes suggesting that there may be social justice factors which inform how self-care is understood and practiced: Disparities related to wealth and social identities; Social systems and societal structures which cause barriers and constraints to accessing self-care; and Sociocultural ideologies which assign value and meaning to self-care. The authors contend that as the profession continues to work toward conceptualization of a definition of self-care and as the academe wrestles with the incorporation of self-care into its curricula, further exploration of the potential social injustices surrounding the defining and practicing of self-care is imperative.

Self-Care Practices and Perspectives in Managing Coronary Heart Disease Patients: A Qualitative Study.

Background/Objectives: Self-care experiences and understanding of coronary heart disease (CHD) play a pivotal role in the management of CHD and can contribute to positive health outcomes. This qualitative study aimed to explore the views and experiences of CHD patients, their families, and Indigenous leaders about self-care practices of CHD. Methods: A qualitative design employing semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion was used. Employing purposive sampling, 49 respondents, comprising 30 patients, 10 family members, and 9 Indigenous leaders, were recruited and interviewed from April to September 2022. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Five major categories were constructed: (1) inadequate knowledge and early symptom identification; (2) self-care activities for physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs; (3) family and kinship support for self-care efforts; (4) barriers to self-care including physical, psychological, and access issues; and (5) health improvement expectations based on culturally sensitive health education. Conclusions: The study reveals significant gaps in knowledge about CHD and the identification of early symptoms among patients, families, and Indigenous leaders. Despite efforts to meet physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs, self-care is hindered by various barriers, including limited access to healthcare and entrenched habits. The support from family and kinship systems is crucial for self-care. Participants expressed a strong desire for culturally tailored health education and better health control to improve heart health outcomes.

Self-care experience supported among people with chronic non-communicable diseases in primary health care

Objective: to highlight the knowledge of people with chronic non-communicable diseases about their experiences with supported self-care in the context of primary health care. Method: this is a qualitative exploratory study with 34 users, with hypertension and/or diabetes, in primary care, after implementing supported self-care for twelve months. Collection was through semi-structured interviews and textual data analysis was performed using the ALCESTE software, version 2018. Results: the corpus had a utilization rate of 76%, divided into three semantic classes: class 1: Dichotomy between attention person-centered and centered physician; class 2: Recognition of self-care in improving adherence to healthier behaviors; class 3: Appreciation of the applicability of the self-care plan. Final considerations: supported self-care demonstrates benefits, such as: greater adherence to behaviors that are fundamental to controlling and maintaining health, increased self-esteem and improved quality of life. However, it still revealed a strong influence of the medical-centered model and the need for greater investment in strategies to encourage self-management.

701-P: Exploring the Lived Experience of Self-Care in Young Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

701-P: Exploring the Lived Experience of Self-Care in Young Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Presenting a Personal Knowledge Management Model of Self-Care and Experience in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder and Families: A Study Protocol

Background. Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that necessitates lifelong medication, therapeutic interventions, and self-care. People with bipolar disorder and their families may have varied experiences regarding sleep management, stress, interpersonal relationships, and anger, which are frequently overlooked. In the current study, the knowledge acquired by patients with bipolar disorder and their families was evaluated. Then, an appropriate model for managing self-care knowledge among individuals with bipolar disorder was proposed. Methods. The current mixed-methods study was conducted in four stages. The first stage involved a systematic review and meta-synthesis study in the field of knowledge management in the healthcare system. The second stage involved assessing the self-care experiences of patients with bipolar disorder. In the third stage, the codes obtained from the previous stages were prioritized by experts using Delphi techniques. In the fourth stage, a researcher prepared, validated, and distributed a questionnaire among mental health service providers stages. Finally, the personal knowledge management model of self-care and experience in individuals with bipolar disorder and their families was presented. Conclusion. Almost half of patients with bipolar disorder do not adhere to their long-term treatment. Also, this disease requires patients to perform self-care activities in addition to drug therapy. So, the design and implementation of a knowledge management model for self-care and experience in people with bipolar disorder can be effective in improving their self-care behaviors and quality of life.

Client-centered flexible planning of home-based postpartum care: A randomized controlled trial on the quality of care.

Standardization of health systems often hinders client-centered care. This study investigates whether allowing more flexibility in the planning range of the Dutch home-based postpartum care service improves its quality of care, as innovative approach to client-centered care. A randomized controlled trial was conducted (2017-2019), in which pregnant women who intended to breastfeed were assigned into two groups (1:1). The intervention group was allowed to receive care up to the 14th-day postpartum, instead of the first 8-10 consecutive days ("usual care"). Primary outcome measure was the proportion of newborns still receiving exclusively breastmilk on final caring day of the service. This so-called successful breastfeeding rate is currently used by the Dutch health sector to measure the quality of care. Secondary outcome measures were self-care experience, overall care experience, and exclusive breastfeeding duration rate. Based on data from 1275 participants, there was no difference in exclusive breastfeeding on final caring day (86,7% intervention group vs. 88,9% control group, RR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.98-1.07). Both groups showed similar self-care experiences. Women in the intervention group had slightly poorer overall care experience and lower exclusive breastfeeding duration rates. This study found no effect on the quality of care when allowing more flexibility in the planning range of home-based postpartum care. Women can, therefore, be offered more flexibility to suit them. Given the confusion in interpreting the sector's current main quality indicator, we call for an inclusive dialogue on how to best measure the quality of home-based postpartum care.

Comparison of Alabama Nurse Experiences Between Practice Areas During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.

According to the Total Worker Health® framework, safety culture including a reasonable workload among healthcare workers is essential to the security and well-being of patients, staff, and healthcare organizations. Evaluating the impact of the pandemic on the nursing workforce in different practice areas is critical for addressing workforce health and sustainability. The purpose of this study was to compare work and selfcare experiences among Alabama nurses between practice areas and the early pandemic years (2020 vs. 2021). A secondary analysis of cross-sectional Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA) survey data was conducted. Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, Wilcoxon rank, and false discovery rates were examined. There were 1,369 and 2,458 nurse survey responses in 2020 and 2021, respectively. By 2021, nurses reported worsening staff shortages, a greater need for retired and new graduate nurses to help with the workload burden, and perceptions of heavier emergency department workloads. Lower proportions of nurses reported the ability to engage in self-care activities and satisfaction with state and federal crisis management. Intensive care nurses were more likely to report staffing shortages while also reporting the lowest ability to engage in self-care. Overall, the Alabama nursing workforce perceived worsening work conditions in 2021 compared to when the pandemic began. Practice areas varied greatly in their responses, with acute and intensive care areas perceiving more difficult work conditions. Total Worker Health® programs should be designed to promote and support nurses' well-being based on their experience and the needs of specific practice areas.

Transnational Health and Self-care Experiences of Japanese Women who have taken Oral Contraceptives in South Korea, including Over-the-counter Access: Insights from Semi-structured Interviews

In an increasingly globalized world, the accessibility of healthcare and medication has expanded beyond local healthcare systems and national borders. This study aims to investigate the transnational health and self-care experiences of 11 Japanese women who have resided in South Korea for a minimum of six months and have utilized oral contraceptives, including those that were acquired over-the-counter (OTC). Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by utilizing the NVivo software. The analysis yielded three significant thematic categories, namely (1) experiences and perceptions of obtaining and utilizing contraceptive pills, including OTC access; (2) individual and social perceptions of pills and their accessibility in Japan, insights from actual users; and (3) enhancing pill accessibility, transnational health and self-care experiences and perspectives. Participants acknowledged that oral contraceptives are a global product and experienced communication challenges with healthcare providers as a result of differing understandings of these medications. Additionally, this study identified transnational strategies, such as purchasing an adequate supply of pills just before departure and seeking pills from local families or acquaintances. This study not only highlights the implications of clinical care for transnational patients but also underscores their critical global perspectives on access to oral contraceptives. Furthermore, it proposes two models for improving accessibility within the Japanese healthcare system, even in prescription-only contexts, by introducing OTC options.

Teaching self-care: understanding the learned and lived self-care experiences of social work students

ABSTRACT Professional self-care in social work is regarded as paramount to ethical and competent practice. However, the absence of an agreed upon operationalization of self-care leaves social work educators directionless on the teaching and modeling of self-care. This study investigated the learned and lived self-care experiences of BSW and MSW students (n = 80) in their final field education experience. Data collection included an anonymous online survey, focus groups, and a follow-up online survey. Broadly, students were asked to consider three aspects of self-care: 1) their understanding of self-care, including the sources of that understanding; 2) their experienced internal and external barriers to self-care; and 3) the interface between self and systems when practicing self-care. Utilizing a general inductive approach to data analysis, several evocative themes emerged suggesting gaps between the learned experience and the lived experience of self-care including the conflict between familial or cultural values and formal self-care education, a divide between their positive experiences with self-care and their actual performance of self-care, and inhibitory components of professional systems to the personal practice of self-care. Students exhorted their social work educators to model self-care, teach it explicitly, provide in-vivo practice opportunities, and to understand the student experience.

The Self-Care of Older Australians During Bushfires and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

This article sought to explore how older people maintained their health and managed chronic conditions during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, floods, and COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. This knowledge is important in the context of intersecting public health and environmental hazards. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 19 community-dwelling older people living in South Eastern New South Wales, a region significantly impacted by the successive disasters. Three themes summarized participants' experiences. Participants described disruption to daily activities and social networks, delayed treatment and disruption to health services, and the exacerbation of health issues and emergence of new health challenges as challenges to managing health and self-care . Strategies for staying healthy were described as drawing on connections and relationships and maintaining a sense of normalcy. Finally, the compounding nature of disasters highlighted the impact of successive events. Understanding older people's experiences of self-care during disasters is critical for developing interventions that are better targeted to their needs. This study highlights the importance of social connectedness, habit, and routine in health and well-being. Results should inform policymaking and guide interventions in health care for older people.

“More Than Just a Manicure” Qualitative Experiences of Maternal Self-Care During COVID-19

“More Than Just a Manicure” Qualitative Experiences of Maternal Self-Care During COVID-19

The experience of spiritual self-care among Malaysian Counsellors: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT Counselors in Malaysia rely on religious practices for self-care and personal growth, according to a previous study. This exploratory study used a descriptive phenomenological approach to interview four counselors with diverse religious beliefs who are engaged in crisis work. The study identified three key themes of spiritual self-care: 1) religious practice, 2) self-reflection, and 3) internalizing religious values professionally. The research suggests the need for increased religious competence among counselors and emphasizes the inclusion of religious competence as a requirement for crisis work deployment. It also highlights the importance of incorporating cultural aspects into counselor self-care education.

The experiences of self-care in associate degree nursing students

As nursing students experience academic pressures, it may impede their learning ability. This basic qualitative study aimed to address self-care and the effect of academic stress on first-semester nursing students. Nine semi-structured interview questions prompted the student's self-care narratives. Following data analysis, four themes emerged; self-talk, self-management, physical outlets and activities, and social support. A need exists for associate-degree nurse educators to support student self-care.

The dyadic self-care experience of stroke survivors and their caregivers: A qualitative descriptive study.

Promoting self-care is the core response strategy of the global health system to the burden of stroke. Although self-care in stroke represents a dyadic phenomenon, the dyadic self-care experience of stroke survivors and their caregivers is often overlooked in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to explore the dyadic self-care experience of stroke survivors and their caregivers. A descriptive qualitative design was used to conduct the study. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research was used for study reporting. A total of 21 stroke survivor-caregiver dyads were recruited for this study between May 2022 and September 2022. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. In this study, four themes were identified: (1)poor relationship quality of the dyads, (2)dyadic incongruence in managing stroke,(3)a slow and tiring dyadic self-care processand (4)happy cooperation in coping with dyadic self-care. Healthcare professionals should give greater consideration to the contradictions and disparities that may arise between stroke survivors and caregivers during the self-care process. It is crucial for them to provide personalized and tailored support and interventions that can assist these individuals in achieving a more optimal balance in their dyadic self-care. Patients were involved in the formulation of interview questions forthis study. No members of the public wereinvolved in this study.

An exploration of the self-care practices of foster carers in Australia

Practising self-care is vital for foster carers to cope with the stresses of the caring role, provide the best care possible and continue in their task. This current study contributes to emerging research on the self-care practices of foster carers in Australia and worldwide. It used an exploratory design, surveying 148 foster carers about their self-care and conducting individual, semi-structured interviews enabling nine of them to elaborate on their self-care experiences. The results indicate that while the participants sometimes engage in self-care and value it as a way of maintaining their wellbeing and increasing their caregiving capacity, they face several barriers to doing this. These include the multiple responsibilities of the foster carer role, children’s commitments, employment and finances. Facilitators of self-care include social and family support, contact with other carers and carer respite. Foster care agencies and the out-of-home care system should aim to meet the self-care needs of carers by providing increased support, resources and education.

E074 Self-care for rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic: transferability of Canadian and UK experiences

Abstract Background/Aims The COVID-19 pandemic posed unique challenges for people worldwide in self-caring for their rheumatoid arthritis (RA). COVID-19 also prompted global changes in public health (e.g., vaccination programs and mask wearing) and rheumatology services (e.g., integrating telehealth with in-person healthcare). To facilitate cross-country learning of how to support people with RA to self-care during and post-pandemic, better understanding of individuals’ experiences of self-care in the context of changes in public health and ‘integrated’ healthcare is needed. Our study aimed to explore transferability in experiences of public health measures and telehealth during COVID-19 among individuals with RA in Canada and the UK. Methods Between July and October 2022, online focus groups (90 mins) took place with participants living with RA in the UK. Participants were recruited via social media and professional networks (including Versus Arthritis). Each participant received a report ∼7days before each focus group, with a request to review in advance. The report contained preliminary findings identified through reflexive thematic analysis of interviews (30-70 mins) with thirty-nine participants with RA in British Columbia, Canada (26-86 years; 36 females) between December 2020 and 2021. Nine preliminary themes were identified across three topics: accessing telehealth and in-person healthcare; decision-making around COVID-19 vaccinations and public health measures; and renegotiating ‘the self’. The themes guided the focus groups, wherein UK participants shared their perspectives on each theme arising in the Canadian context. Audio-visual recordings were transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were de-identified. Ongoing directed content analysis of focus group data involves a collaborative approach with patient partners. Results Four focus groups involving thirteen participants (44-81 years;11 females) living across the UK were conducted. Participants had lived with RA for between 3-36 years. Canadian experiences typically resonated with UK participants, with some feeling a sense of unity and sadness that challenges were also experienced by others living with RA beyond their national context. Many UK participants supported preferences expressed by Canadian participants for a ‘hybrid’ healthcare approach to maximise benefits and minimise downsides of telehealth, and in-person consultations post-pandemic. Benefits (e.g., avoiding risk of COVID-19 transmission with telehealth) and disadvantages (e.g., lacking sensitivity/accuracy of in-person assessments) described by Canadian participants also resonated with UK-based participants. Many described how their decision-making on adopting public health measures to maintain their self-care was supported and/or undermined in their local context/community. Conclusion Our findings offer novel insights into the challenges and opportunities experienced by people with RA in their decision-making around public health measures and telehealth during a global pandemic. They also demonstrate some transferability of experiences between the UK and Canada. Insights may serve to inform decision-making for policy and programmes to support self-care (e.g., by integrating telehealth into routine rheumatology practice) across countries during and post-pandemic. Disclosure J. Gavin: None. J. Leese: None. S.O. Ramachandran: None. S. Therrien: None. C. Backman: None. J. Ma: None. E. Davidson: None. S. McQuitty: None. A.M. Hoens: None. C.L. Koehn: None. J. Adams: None. L. Li: None.

Mental Health Nurses’ Self-Care at Work, Searching for Equilibrium: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The nursing workforce plays a central role in quality health care delivery. Nursing work is associated with high levels of stress due to often unmanageable workloads. The associated attrition poses a serious challenge for recruitment and retention strategies. Self-care is recognised as a tactic for addressing workplace stressors, shaping a sense of cohesion where the world is viewed as comprehensible, meaningful, and manageable, thereby mitigating the risk of burnout. Yet research suggests it is not widely utilised by nurses. The aim of this study was to understand mental health nurses’ lived experience of self-care at work. The research was undertaken using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology. In-depth individual interviews explored nurses’ attitudes to self-care and how they did or did not adopt self-care practices in the workplace. Data were analysed thematically. The Search for Equilibrium, was identified as the superordinate theme, developed from three subordinate themes, The past self: “tormented and spent”, the intricacy of self-care, and the trusted inner circle: “safe and supported”. These findings highlight the complexity of self-care and the importance of considering it as much broader than purely an intra-personal phenomenon, emphasising the importance of relationships and interpersonal connections. Time past, present, and future influenced how participants made sense of their workplace experiences. These findings provide a deeper understanding of self-care in response to workplace stress and could assist in developing strategies to promote self-care for nurses, and ultimately positively enhance recruitment.

A Qualitative Study on the Self-Care Experiences of People with Heart Failure.

We aimed to explore in-depth experiences and emotions of people with heart failure within the context of self-care. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Ten patients were recruited from an outpatient clinic at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea between September and November 2019. Data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. Participants were 68-86 years old, and 80% were men. Five themes of the self-care experiences of persons with heart failure were identified: "Suddenly diagnosed with heart failure," "Unpredictable symptoms and unprepared for self-care," "Dependent on caring family on a heartbreaking uphill," "Self-care efforts with apprehension," and "Continued self-care efforts with expert help." Programs to support self-care for people with heart failure are needed and should be developed by incorporating patients' needs and reflecting their uncertainty and vulnerability.

"Taking Time": Exploring Music Therapy Student Self-Care Definitions and Practices.

The concept of self-care for music therapists is not a new topic in the literature, yet music therapy students' perspectives have largely been excluded from formal discussions and research studies. For this reason, this study aimed to examine music therapy students' conceptualizations of self-care and identify practices that students frequently engage in for self-care. As part of a national survey, music therapy students currently enrolled in an academic degree program for music therapy within the United States defined self-care and identified up to three of their most frequent self-care practices. We analyzed the student self-care definitions and self-care practices using inductive content analysis. Two primary categories emerged from the student definitions-the Act of Self-Care and the Desired Outcomes of Self-Care-with several more detailed subcategories. Additionally, we grouped participants' most common self-care practices into 10 categories and identified two emergent areas for exploration: self-care practices done with others/done alone and engaging in self-care practices that intentionally do not involve anything related to academics/coursework/clinical work. Together, these findings indicate that students' conceptualizations of self-care and their self-care practices have similarities and differences with music therapy professionals' perspectives and practices. We discuss these findings in depth and provide recommendations for future self-care discussions that emphasize the need to prioritize students' perspectives and to expand conceptualizations of self-care to include contextual and systemic impacts and factors that influence the individual self-care experience.