Self-care Plan Research Articles

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.

A nurse driven care management program to engage older diabetes patients in personalized goal setting and disease management.

Multiple diabetes care guidelines have called for the personalization of risk factor goals, medication management, and self-care plans among older patients. Study of the implementation of these recommendations is needed. This study aimed to test whether a patient survey embedded in the Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR), coupled with telephonic nurse care management, could engage patients in personalized goal setting and chronic disease management. We conducted a single-center equal-randomization delayed comparator trial at the primary care clinics of the University of Chicago Medicine from 2018.6 to 2019.12. Patients over the age of 65 years with type 2 diabetes with an active patient portal account were recruited and randomized to receive an EHR embedded goal setting and preference survey immediately in the intervention arm or after 6 months in the delayed intervention control arm. In the intervention arm, nurses reviewed American Diabetes Association recommendations for A1C goals based on health status class, established personalized goals, and provided monthly telephonic care management phone calls for a maximum of 6 months. Our primary outcome was the documentation of a personalized A1C goal in the EHR. A total of 100 patients completed the trial (mean age, 72.51 [SD, 5.22] years; mean baseline A1C, 7.14% [SD, 1.06%]; 68% women). The majority were in the Healthy (59%) followed by Complex (30%) and Very Complex (11%) health status classes. Documentation of an A1C goal in the EHR increased from 42% to 90% (p < 0.001) at 6 months in the intervention group and from 54% to 56% in the control group. Across health status classes, patients set similar A1C goals. Older patients can be engaged in personalized goal setting and disease management through an embedded EHR intervention. The clinical impact of the intervention may differ if deployed among older patients with more complex health needs and higher glucose levels. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03692208.

Streaking and self-care planning: the influence of integrating a well-being initiative in one teacher education program

ABSTRACT Concerns about teacher burnout, compassion fatigue, and retaining early career professionals have prompted teacher education programs to seek out ways to promote mental and emotional health during pre-service teacher training. This two-year, educational design study explored pre-service teachers’ experiences with the implementation of two school-based mental health interventions: the intentional introduction of self-care planning during field experience practicums, and the promotion of ‘streaking’, a health promotion event, to encourage pre-service teachers to implement a daily individual mental health intervention. Data were collected at several different points over a two-year period through surveys and individual interviews. The data analysis indicated that this two-tiered approach holds promise as a health promotion activity, however other intentional and educational actions were needed to ensure that pre-service teachers had the resources and tools required to support their mental and emotional health during their practicum courses. A further finding suggested that the term ‘self-care’ was widely misunderstood by study participants and work is needed to help pre-service teachers understand the importance of self-care during their practicum as a prevention strategy for well-being once they begin their teaching career.

When a client dies: preparing social work students for mortality-related challenges in field practicum

Social work students frequently encounter issues of death, dying, grief and loss during field practicum placements, yet often feel unprepared to cope with the emotional challenges and provide effective care. A review of current literature reveals the significant impact of client death on social work students across diverse practicum settings, as well as substantial gaps in grief and loss education within social work curricula that leave students feeling ill-equipped to handle these experiences. This article argues that there is an ethical imperative to better support students facing mortality and loss in practicum by implementing trauma-informed, multi-level interventions. Key recommendations include: normalizing conversations about death, providing regular debriefing opportunities, helping students develop self-awareness and self-care plans, infusing grief and loss content into the curriculum, and facilitating meaning-making and resilience. Recommendations are offered for field instructors, faculty liaisons, placement agencies, universities, and students’ support systems to transform distressing encounters with client death into profound opportunities for personal growth, professional development, and building the capacity to provide compassionate end-of-life care. Ultimately, this article calls for a paradigm shift within social work education and society at large toward more a more grief-literate, death-positive culture that uplifts and humanizes the experiences of dying and bereaved individuals.

An inpatient fall risk assessment tool: Application of machine learning models on intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors

BackgroundThis study aimed to identify the most impactful set of intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors and develop a data-driven inpatient fall risk assessment tool (FRAT). MethodsThe dataset used for the study comprised in-hospital fall records from 2012 to 2017. Four machine learning (ML) algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (Gboost), and Deep Neural Network (DNN) were utilized to predict the inpatient fall risk level. To enhance the performance of the prediction models, two approaches were implemented, including (1) feature selection to identify the optimal feature set and (2) the development of three distinct shift-wise models. Furthermore, the optimal feature sets in the shift-wise models were extracted. ResultsAccording to the results, DNN outperformed other methods by reaching an accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 0.71, 0.8, 0.6, and 0.7, respectively, considering the full set of features. The performance of the models was further improved (by 3-5 %) by conducting a feature selection process for all models. Specifically, the DNN model achieved an accuracy of 0.74 while considering the optimal set of predictors. Moreover, the shift-wise RF models demonstrated higher accuracies (by 4-10 %) compared to the same model using a full feature set. ConclusionsThis study's outcome confirms ML models' compelling capability in developing an inpatient FRAT while considering intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The insight from such models could form a foundation to (1) monitor the inpatients’ fall risk, (2) identify the major factors involved in inpatient falls, and (3) create subject-specific self-care plans.

What frail, older patients talk about when they talk about self-care—a qualitative study in heart failure care

BackgroundSelf-care plays a crucial role in the management of heart failure (HF) and is especially important for older patients who are frail. However, there is limited knowledge about how frail, older patients with HF perceive and experience self-care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the experiences of self-care among frail, older patients with HF.MethodsA qualitative descriptive design with semi-structured interviews with frail, older patients diagnosed with HF (n = 19; median age 82 years). Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke, was used to analyse the data.ResultsTwo main themes emerged from the analysis: 1) “To maintain my health,” encompassing various aspects such as hygiene practices, engaging in physical activity, medication adherence, following a healthy diet, and ensuring adequate rest; and 2) “To maintain my well-being and happiness,” highlighting the importance of hobbies, maintaining independence, participating in social activities, and creating a supportive environment.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights into the perspectives of frail, older patients with HF regarding self-care. It was observed that older patients often associate self-care with general well-being, hygiene, and happiness. Clear communication between healthcare providers and patients is essential to align different perspectives on self-care and ensure that self-care plans are tailored to individual needs. Moreover, addressing the emotional well-being and happiness of patients should be prioritized, as these factors play a significant role in promoting self-care adherence.

An Online Module to Promote Self-Care and Resiliency in Nursing Students.

Because the demands of nursing education can impact the physical and mental health of nursing students, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's revised Essentials require inclusion of self-care and resilience education in nursing curricula. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a self-care module in a new online undergraduate course. Using the REST mnemonic (relationships, exercise, soul, and transformative thinking), students developed personalized self-care plans for the semester. End-of-course evaluations revealed an increase in self-care activities. The most used activities were exercise, humor, intentional rest, and healthy eating.

Self-Care as the Bedrock of Ethical and Competent Service Delivery: The Practitioner’s Journey

Sport psychology practitioners (SPPs) face unique challenges associated with the nature of their profession, which can result in negative consequences to their well-being and to the quality of their service delivery. Therefore, SPPs must aim to promote their own well-being by engaging in self-care practices. Recent literature highlighted the importance of self-care for SPPs, however no clear recommendations as of how SPPs can identify, develop, and implement self-care practices exist. Based on our experience in delivering workshops on self-care to SPPs, grounded in the existing literature, we offered some guidance of how SPPs can develop their own self-care plan.

Integrative self care plan coaching

This article explores the concept of self-care as care capacity building process that can be utilized for individuals and groups. Healthcare as practiced is disease-oriented and uses a pathogenic approach to find treatment solutions. All models of care delivery have practitioners direct their caring resources externally towards others. We support the concept of self-care as salutogenic, fostering the promotion and maintenance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being and contributing to improved quality of life. We would suggest that the current healthcare system lacks a salutogenic methodology to foster conditions and capacities of health and well-being for its providers. This article gives a brief overview of an integrative self-care plan coaching process that offers a counterbalancing methodology and supports directing the practitioners’ caring resources inward toward self.

Self-Management in Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia in Enugu, Nigeria

Sickle cell anaemi (SCA) is a chronic, genetic disorder of haemoglobin structure resulting from inheritance of two abnormal ‘S’ globin genes. It is a disease characterized by episodic exacerbation (crises) of chronic low-grade haemolysis and vaso-occlusion and complicated by multiple infarcts of organ-systems which impair quality of life. Most crises occur and are managed at home. The frequency of pain crises and resulting hospitalizations may therefore increase without appropriate self-care at home. Self-care include therapeutic activities (self-action) that prevent complications, aid coping, improve psychosocial and health status as well as the individual’s perceived ability (self-ability) to perform these activities. An effective self-care plan requires an initial recommendation by a health care practitioner and is pivotal in the successful management of SCA in resource limited setting where secondary prevention strategies prevail. However, self‐care recommendations in SCA are limited, inconsistent and poorly complied to. The study aims to examine the self-care patterns and practices of Paediatric SCA patients in a tertiary hospital.

Physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AimsTo understand the associations between sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, and COVID-19-related changes in physical activity and diet and the reported number of days per week participants engaged in physical activity and consumed fruits and vegetables for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MethodsRespondents from Arkansas primary care clinics completed a survey between October 2020 and January 2021. Multivariable regression determined associations between sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, and COVID-19-related changes in physical activity and diet and the reported number of days per week participants engaged in physical activity and consumed fruits and vegetables. ResultsRespondents exercised for at least 30 min on a mean of 2.09 days and consumed five or more fruit and vegetable servings on a mean of 3.57 days. Males engaged in one additional day of physical activity compared to women. Respondents with a college degree or higher ate 5 or more fruit and vegetable servings on fewer days per week than those with a high school education or less. ConclusionsResults reaffirm a need for diabetes education programs and health care providers to provide information on the importance of maintaining physical activity and a healthy diet as part of a self-care plan for T2DM, especially during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effects of a smartphone-enhanced nurse-facilitated self-care intervention for Chinese hypertensive patients: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundFor hypertensive patients, self-care is of the utmost importance in disease management and health maintenance. However, due to inadequate motivation and self-efficacy in performing self-care behaviours, satisfactory self-care is difficult to initiate and maintain. Smartphone-based interventions with support from nurses may be an alternative way to improve self-care behaviours and blood pressure control. Therefore, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to test the effects of a smartphone-enhanced nurse-facilitated self-care intervention for hypertensive people. ObjectiveTo examine the effects of a smartphone-enhanced nurse-facilitated self-care intervention on improving blood pressure control, anthropometric parameters, and self-care amongst Chinese hypertensive patients from two community health service centres. DesignThis study was a single-blinded, two-arm randomised controlled trial with a repeated-measures design. SettingsParticipants were recruited from two community health service centres in China from March 2018 to June 2018. ParticipantsA total of 210 patients with hypertension were randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group (n = 105 per group). MethodsParticipants in the intervention group received six individual weekly education and consultation sessions provided by a nurse in the first 6 weeks and a researcher-developed smartphone application for 12 weeks. The sessions consisted of health education, individual self-care planning, daily records of physical health status and lifestyle behaviour, and an automated weekly health report. Data on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, and self-care (behaviour, motivation, and self-efficacy) were collected at baseline, the 6th week, and 12th week after joining the study. A generalised estimating equation model was used to analyse the outcome. ResultsA total of 191 patients (91%) completed outcome measurements at the three time points. Compared with the control group at the 6th and 12th week follow-ups, the intervention group exhibited significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (T1: β = −7.29, T2: β = −11.07), diastolic blood pressure (T1: β = −4.80, T2: β = −7.50), body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference, and a significant improvement in self-care (behaviour, motivation, and self-efficacy). At the 12th week follow-up, the proportion of participants with BP < 140/90 mmHg in the intervention group (31%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (9%, p = 0.003). ConclusionThe smartphone-enhanced nurse-facilitated self-care intervention could improve blood pressure, anthropometric parameters, and self-care amongst Chinese hypertensive people in two communities. Its long-term effects amongst diverse hypertensive patient populations can be examined in a future study. Tweetable abstractThe smartphone-enhanced nurse-facilitated self-care intervention improved BP control and self-care, which is an effective alternative to hypertension management. Registration numberThis study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17014227).

The Nursing Experience for a Patient Newly Diagnosed Moyamoya Disease Combined with Coronary Artery Disease

&lt;p&gt;本文探討一位初診斷毛毛樣腦血管症併發冠狀動脈疾病之護理經驗,於 2019 年2 月 28 日至 3 月 11 日運用 Gordon 十一項健康功能型態評估,經由觀察、會談、身 體評估及病歷查閱等方式蒐集資料,確立護理問題有健康維護能力改變、心輸出量減少、焦慮。藉由共同討論自我照顧學習計畫,重建健康生活型態;教導罹患冠狀 動脈疾病後正確的照護及心肺復健運動計畫介入,維護現存的心肺功能;以傾聽、鼓勵使個案宣洩負向情緒,主動召開跨專業領域會議,規劃出院返家後的各項事 宜,及引導重要家人照護,緩解焦慮的情緒。毛毛樣腦血管症屬罕見疾病,醫療團隊在鮮少有例可循,又無實際照護經驗之下,能有足夠的訊息討論如何提供最適切 的照護,是一大困難;而後續返家照護僅只能由電訪了解及關心,這是在照顧個案時,所感到的限制,因此建議,醫院可成立罕見疾病的個案管理師及資料庫,協助 居家訪視且定期召開團隊的討論會,將獨特疾病案例完整建構,以提供往後臨床護理同仁,照護此類個案有足夠的訊息,提供最適當的照顧。盼藉此經驗可作為未來 照護此類病人之參考。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This paper explores a nursing experience with a patient diagnosed with Moyamoya disease associated with coronary artery disease for the first time. The patient&amp;rsquo;s medical state was measured using Gordon&amp;lsquo;s Functional Health Patterns Assessment between Feb. 28 and Mar. 11, 2019. This assessment, coupled with data collection using observation, conversation, physical examination, and medical history, helped to identify the patient&amp;rsquo;s health issues that required the nursing staff&amp;rsquo;s special attention: a compromised self-care ability, decreased cardiac output, and symptoms of anxiety. By discussing the self-care learning plan with the patient, the nursing team helped the patient to re-create a healthy lifestyle. The patient was also taught about a good self-care routine to manage his coronary artery disease, and was urged to engage in a cardiac rehabilitation program, so as to prevent her heart and lungs from deterioration. The nursing staff listened closely to the patient&amp;rsquo;s complaints, so she could let her negative emotions out. A cross-field meeting was convened, so as to pre-arrange everything that should be prepared for the patient after she was discharged from hospital, help her immediate family members to take better care of her, and assuage her anxiety. Moyamoya disease is a rare disorder, so there were very few examples to be followed. Hence it was a big challenge to decide how to provide the most appropriate care to the patient as the nursing team did not have actual care expe- rience and lacked sufficient information regarding this area. Another limitation arose when nurses could only check her conditions via phone calls after she was discharged from hospital. For that reason, it is advisable to recruit rare disease case managers and create a database, in order to help with paying home visits and convening discussion meetings on a regular basis. In so doing, cases of rare diseases can be more completely compiled, so clinical nursing staff will have sufficient information in this regard, and will be able to offer the best possible care to their patients. This nursing experience is hereby shared and serves as a reference for clinical practices.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Self-care for clinicians during remote sessions: Adapting to the new world

ABSTRACT The transition to remote work and telehealth for mental health clinicians has created a set of structural and individual considerations that previously had not needed to be considered in self-care plans. Recognizing the origins of discomfort and uncertainty clinicians may have experienced as human beings living and working during a pandemic informs an effective self-care plan. Changes to organization practice and the therapeutic relationship and milieu, and the resultant challenges, are also considerations for a revised plan. A supportive organization is one that has clear and consistent guardrails, a supportive environment, training opportunities, resources that allow clinicians to do their work remotely, and provides regular clinical supervision. Setting boundaries with oneself, limiting screen time and exposure to news outlets, and maintaining a clear work schedule works toward the well-being of clinicians.

A study on diabetes-related self-care plan and its determinants among diabetes patients in a Warangal region, Telangana, India

The prevalence of epidemiological diseases, including diabetes, has continued to increase because of the adaption of Western culture and the lack of self-care activities among patients with diabetes. Therefore, in this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess self-care plans and determinants among diabetes outpatients in Warangal. We conducted a prospective observational study among diabetes outpatient clinic in Warangal, India over 6 months from October 2019 to March 2020. We used the expanded Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaire. A P value of less than < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Respondents (mean age, 52.3 (standard deviation (SD), 11.01) years) had an overall SDSCA score of 49.18 ± 3.57 (SD). Mean scores for the diet, physical activity, foot care, medication adherence, and blood sugar testing scales were 12.79 (SD, 1.61), 10.24 (SD, 1.77), 15.67 (SD, 1.5), 5.66 (SD, 1.17), and 4.80 (SD, 0.68), respectively. Patients’ age, education, disease duration and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels of <7.5% (P < 0.001)) had significantly higher mean scores for blood sugar testing, diet, physical activity, and adherence (P < 0.001). The employment status is associated with all the domains of Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (P < 0.001). Taken together, our results revealed that patients with diabetes in Warangal had poor self-care planning, highlighting the need for strengthening initiatives that generate awareness regarding diabetes and improving related self-care practices.

Barriers to Self-Care Planning for Family Caregivers of Patients with Severe Mental Illness.

The chronic nature of severe mental illnesses is necessary for constant care provided by the family caregivers. Considering the significance of family caregivers in providing care, it is imperative to ensure their self-care if they are to play the role of caregiving effectively and efficiently well. The present study was conducted using the purposive sampling method and in-depth semi-structured interviews among 13 family caregivers and five health team members. The data were analyzed via a conventional content analysis approach. In the data analysis, seven main categories and 18 subcategories emerged: “A troublesome patient and me,” including “Care-induced distress,” “Caring dilemma,” “Emotional fluctuations,” and “Self-forgetfulness”; “Passive–destructive individuality,” including: “Mental stereotypes” and “Unhealthy lifestyle”; “Family turbulence,” including: “Family malfunction” and “Break in family ties”; “The conjoined influencing social factor,” including “Lack of awareness at the family and community level” and “Social stigmatization”; “lack of well-organized health care system,” including “Biomedical-oriented health system,” “Disruption in continuity of care,” and “Problems associated with the support provided by the health system”; “Disturbed economic conditions,” including “Difficulty in life with disrupted financial capability,” “Problems related to education and promoting awareness,” and “Family health care problems”; “Dysfunctional Public mental health,” including “Macro-dysfunction of mental health education,” and “Disruptive advocacy activities to support families of patients with mental disorders.” There are several barriers to family caregiver self-care planning that require health professionals to develop appropriate interventions.

Self-Care with Self-Compassion (SC2): A Program to Foster Well-Being in Graduate Speech-Language Pathology Students

This article describes elements of Self-Care with Self-Compassion (SC2), a novel program designed to foster well-being in graduate speech-language-pathology (SLP) students. Graduate SLP students experience elevated levels of perceived stress, which can ultimately impact their professional competence. University programs, faculty, and staff are uniquely positioned to help students learn to cope with stress. Self-care and self-compassion may buffer some of the effects of stress, and at the same time foster qualities in students that facilitate learning and promote healthy clinical practice. Twenty-five incoming SLP graduate students participated in SC2, a required, two-part workshop. Levels of perceived stress and self-compassion were collected, along with program evaluations and perceptions of/engagement with self-care pre- and post-program. Results confirm that graduate SLP students experience elevated levels of stress, along with moderate levels of self-compassion. Students value self-care, and most want to maintain or increase their engagement in self-care practices. However, students face several barriers in implementing and maintaining self-care plans. Students provided positive reviews of the program. Program limitations and possible future modifications of the program are discussed.

Self-Care Planning and Sanitary Education in the Prevention of the Diabetic Foot

Diabetes Mellitus is the main cause of chronic patients in Spain. An equivocal exploration by the health worker and the client itself leads to the appearance of chronic complications, the most important being diabetic foot. The role of the health worker in the prevention and treatment of this is key. Objectives: This work has the general objective of identifying and providing information to the diabetic client about diabetic foot prevention and care elements to avoid complications. Data sources, study eligibility criteria: The search for the articles was carried out in various scientific databases with the help of a search string, which combined the keywords and Boolean operators. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Thirty-seven papers were selected after a review of 101 articles. Results: The implementation of a health education program, in addition to performing multidisciplinary work, favors the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers and reduces the risk of amputation. Conclusions and implications of key findings: Nurses must have greater responsibility to inspire patients ‘self-efficacy by making health education programs effective.

Brief daily self-care reflection for undergraduate well-being: a randomized control trial of an online intervention

ABSTRACT There is a limited research on the effects of self-care, specifically the importance of taking time to reflect on one’s self-care habits. Healthy undergraduate students (N = 95) were assigned to either a self-care intervention or passive control condition. The intervention group (N = 52) was prompted daily via email with questions about self-care habits and plans over three weeks, whereas the control group (N = 43) only completed baseline and post-assessments. Primary outcome variables included subjective happiness, positive and negative affect, and stress. Explanatory variables included mindfulness, self-compassion, and active coping tendency. Stress and negative affect decreased in the intervention group relative to the control group, but no interaction was observed for happiness and positive affect. There was no evidence that these effects were moderated by participant mindfulness, coping tendency, or self-compassion. These results suggest that even a very brief daily reflection on self-care can have powerful effects in promoting resilience against the accumulation of negative affect and stress over the term.

Job Stress and Burnout among Social Workers in the VUCA World of COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper aimed to explore the changes posed by the new COVID-19 pandemic to the field of social work and its impact on social workers in terms of job stress and burnout in Romania. Two conceptual models were used to frame the discussion: the theoretical framework of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) to discuss the challenges that the unprecedented context of the COVID-19 pandemic has created for social workers; and the Job Demands and Resources model (JD-R) to understand job demands perceived as stressors and burnout. Based on convergent mixed methods, the study sample consisted of 83 social workers employed in statutory and private social services in Romania, from different areas of intervention. Results showed that social workers perceived a high level of job stress related to work during the pandemic, which was associated with higher levels of burnout in the areas of personal burnout (average score 55.9) and work-related burnout (average score 52.5). Client-related burnout was lower (average score 38.4), indicating that stress was generated mainly by organisational factors and work-related factors (workload, aligning to new legislative rules and decisions, inconsistency, instability, ambiguity of managerial decisions, and lack of clarity of working procedures) and less by client-related stressors (lack of direct contact with clients, risk of contamination, managing beneficiaries’ fears, and difficulties related to technology). High job demands and limited job resources (managerial and supervisory support, financial resources, and recognition and reward) led to a high to very high level of work-related burnout for 15.7% and an upper-medium level for 44.2% of respondents. A group of 27.7% reported lower to medium levels of work-related burnout, while 14.5% had very low levels, managing to handle stress factors in a healthy manner. Study results pointed to the importance of organisational support and the development of a self-care plan that help to protect against job stress and burnout. Recommendations were made, putting forward the voice of fieldworkers and managers fostering initiatives and the application of sustainability-based measures and activities designed to deal with the challenges of the VUCA environment.