Self-Care for Palliative Care Staff

Drawing from contemporary research, scholarship, and practice-based experience, this chapter provides an exploration of self-care for staff providing palliative care. Understanding self-care begins with appreciating what it is and why it is important. From that basis, due consideration can be given to the holistic nature of self-care in practice. Further, self-compassion, self-care planning, and compassionate leadership can enable self-care in both personal and professional settings. A key message of this chapter is that suffering and healing form part of the palliative care journey for both the living and the dying—those giving and receiving care—and that self-care for staff is a vital element of spiritual care in palliative care. Rather than relating to the care of self and others in dichotomy, self-awareness and insight to interdependence can serve as guides to ‘total care’ through ongoing reflection.