Helping Relationships and Self-Care

cerah.lakeheadu.ca

Palliative Care Educationfor Front-Line Workers

in First Nations Communities

The palliative care promise

The individual who is passing and their family will be cared for:

spiritually emotionally mentally physically

The job of one individual?• Absolutely NOT!!• The use of the team• The use of outside resources• The recognition of individual, family, and

community strengths

How can we help?• By caring• By being there• By being who you are

Empathy The power of entering into the experience of,

or understanding emotion outside ourselves The ability to identify with a person and

thereby understand his/her feelings The ability to communicate this

understanding

A caregiver’s prayerMay I offer my presence and care unconditionally,

knowing that I may meet in gratitude, indifference, anger, and anguish.

May I find the inner resources to truly be able to give. May I offer love, knowing that I cannot control the

course of life, suffering, or death. May I view my own limits with compassion,

just as I see the suffering of others.

Stressors working in palliative care• Emotional concern for patients and their

families• Management of the disease process• Staff support issues

Dealing with loss

To cry or not to cry

Common signs and symptoms of stress (1 of 2)• Feeling physically “run down”• Exhaustion• Muscle tension, headaches, gastrointestinal

distress and other somatic symptoms• Loss of libido (sex drive)• Flatness of mood• Anger, emotional outbursts

Common signs and symptoms of stress (2 of 2)

• Inability to communicate with co-workers, patients, and family members

• Diminished coping abilities• Cynicism, critical attitudes towards co-workers,

suspiciousness• Lack of initiative, lower productivity• Distancing oneself from relationships

Burnout

What does this mean to you?

How do you know when this happens?

What makes people burnout?

Not ALL job stress is negative

Stress can:• motivate• prevent boredom• facilitate employee turnover• motivate individual growth and change

Most people consider their work in palliative care to be:

MeaningfulAnd

Rewarding

Characteristics associated with job satisfaction• Having a sense of mastery and control• Developing relationships with the individual who is

passing and their family• Learning to detach from suffering• Enjoying a strong self-esteem• Having adequate resources• Experience intellectual stimulation• Learning new skills• Adapting to the work environment

Remember:

It’s extremely difficult to care for others when you haven’t taken care

of yourself first

Wellness and Self-care• Begin with the recognition of self-worth

• Minimize daily stress

• Learn to understand and identify common stressors