Assessment of Self-Care Behaviors Among Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Self-care is a fundamental concept, essential professional practice, and uniform terminology within the healthcare system. It has also been characterized as "selecting actions that mitigate the impacts of emotional and physical stressors: engaging in exercise, consuming nutritious food." Advocating for self-care could improve compassion satisfaction and mitigate Stress and empathy fatigue in healthcare professionals. Several writers propose self-care practices.

Study Design: This research employed a descriptive cross-sectional design to achieve its aims. The study commenced on November 1, 2023, and concluded on June 10, 2024.

Study Sample: The current study contained a non-probability (convenience) sample of 180 nurses.

Setting of the Study: The research is undertaken in Al-Najaf City, encompassing the Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Health Directorate, Al-Sader Teaching Hospital, Al-Hakeem Hospital, Al-Zahraa Teaching Hospital, Al-Najaf Teaching Hospital, and Al-Forat Teaching Hospital.

Results: The research results indicated that the overall evaluation of nurses' self-care behavior is modest.

Conclusion: Despite the heightened focus on self-care for healthcare providers, particularly nurses as the predominant group, recent studies have overlooked this aspect. This study has demonstrated that self-care behaviors among nurses at Al-Najaf City Hospitals are at moderate levels.

Recommendation: Educating and motivating nurses to engage in regular physical activity so they can encourage their patients to do the same. Create a designated workspace: Creating a designated workspace helps focus on the task at hand rather than being distracted by other things in the surrounding environment.