Skip to main content
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals
Menu

Mobile Main navigation

  • About
    • Accreditation
    • Alumni
    • Blog
    • Chamberlain Care
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • History
    • Newsroom
    • Online Education
    • Our Vision
    • Student Consumer Information
  • Academics
    • College of Nursing
      • 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing
      • RN to BSN Option
      • RN to MSN Options
      • Certificate Programs
      • Master of Science in Nursing
      • MSN - Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • College of Health Professions
      • Public Health Certificate Programs
      • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
      • Master of Public Health
      • Master of Social Work
    • Academic Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • College Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
  • Campus & Online
    • Campus
    • AZ - Phoenix
    • CA - Irwindale
    • CA - Sacramento
    • FL - Jacksonville
    • FL - Miramar
    • GA - Atlanta
    • IL - Addison
    • IL - Chicago
    • IL - Tinley Park
    • IN - Indianapolis
    • LA - New Orleans
    • MI - Troy
    • MO - St. Louis
    • NV - Las Vegas
    • NJ - North Brunswick
    • NC - Charlotte
    • OH - Cleveland
    • OH - Columbus
    • TX - Houston
    • TX - Irving
    • TX - Pearland
    • TX - San Antonio
    • VA - Tysons Corner
    • BSN Online Option
    • Post-Licensure & Graduate
      • RN to BSN Option
      • RN to MSN Option
      • Master of Science in Nursing
      • MSN - Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice
      • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
      • Master of Public Health
      • Master of Social Work
  • Admission & Financial Aid
    • Admission
      • Transfer Guide
      • Catalog
      • Academic Calendar
      • Military Information
    • Financial Aid
      • Tuition & Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Forms
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
      • Loans
      • Work Study
      • Grants
      • Scholarships

Mobile Secondary Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Mobile Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Transfers
  • Military
  • Alumni
  • Partners
  • Employers

Top Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Information For
    • Current Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfers
    • Military
    • Alumni
    • Partners
    • Employers
  • Chat
  • 877.751.5783
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Main Header navigation

  • About

    About

    Chamberlain University has a 130-year history preparing extraordinary nursing graduates and healthcare professionals. 

    • Accreditation
    • Alumni
    • Blog
    • Chamberlain Care
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • History
    • Newsroom
    • Online Education
    • Our Vision
    • Student Consumer Information
  • Academics

    Academics

    Whether you're an aspiring nurse looking to launch a rewarding career, a nursing professional looking to advance your career, or a professional looking to impact public health, Chamberlain offers the degree programs, options and resources to help you succeed.

    • College of Nursing
      • 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing
      • RN to BSN Option
      • RN to MSN Options
      • Certificate Programs
      • Master of Science in Nursing
      • MSN - Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • College of Health Professions
      • Public Health Certificate Programs
      • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
      • Master of Public Health
      • Master of Social Work
    • Academic Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • College Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
  • Campus & Online

    On Campus & Online

    Interested in becoming a nurse?
    Earn your BSN at one of 23 campuses located across the country, in just 3 years

    • Campus
    • AZ - Phoenix
    • CA - Irwindale
    • CA - Sacramento
    • FL - Jacksonville
    • FL - Miramar
    • GA - Atlanta
    • IL - Addison
    • IL - Chicago
    • IL - Tinley Park
    • IN - Indianapolis
    • LA - New Orleans
    • MI - Troy
    • MO - St. Louis
    • NV - Las Vegas
    • NJ - North Brunswick
    • NC - Charlotte
    • OH - Cleveland
    • OH - Columbus
    • TX - Houston
    • TX - Irving
    • TX - Pearland
    • TX - San Antonio
    • VA - Tysons Corner
    • BSN Online Option Clinical in select states
    • Post-Licensure & Graduate
      • RN to BSN Option
      • RN to MSN Option
      • Master of Science in Nursing
      • MSN - Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
      • MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice
      • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
      • Master of Public Health
      • Master of Social Work
  • Admission & Financial Aid

    Admission & Financial Aid

    Chamberlain is committed to providing quality and accessible healthcare and nursing education. Our team is with you every step of the way, providing the information you need to make the decisions that best serve you.

    • Admission
      • Transfer Guide
      • Catalog
      • Academic Calendar
      • Military Information
    • Financial Aid
      • Tuition & Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Forms
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
      • Loans
      • Work Study
      • Grants
      • Scholarships

Secondary Header Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Featured

nursing student holding tablet and glancing out of a window
8 Great Reasons to Earn Your Master of…
Dr. Melani Bell mentors Chamberlain student
Why I Chose Chamberlain… Again
Nurse fist bumping with child
5 Great Reasons to Earn Your MSN Degree…

Tags

Browse articles by category
Alumni
Campus News
Careers
Health Professions
Nursing Today
Tips for Students

Share

Blog Social Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Home / Blog / Care For You / Nurses Must Commit to Self-Care First So They Can Care for Others

Nurses Must Commit to Self-Care First So They Can Care for Others

May 09, 2018 by Susan Groenwald
susan

This Nurses Week, Chamberlain University President Susan Groenwald, Ph.D., RN, ANEF, FAAN urges her fellow nurses to commit to self-care first so they can take care of others.

Nursing today is very different from the nursing career I started nearly 50 years ago. Over the years, the responsibilities of nurses have become more diverse and increasingly demanding as the population ages, morbidity of chronic diseases increases, the threat of pandemics intensifies, and technology continues to develop at a dizzying pace. Nurses engage in technologies that did not exist even ten years ago and continually learn new approaches to diseases and wellness strategies – always learning and collaborating with the rest of the healthcare team. Those people who are cared for in hospitals are generally sicker and are discharged from acute care centers sooner, often with complex social, psychological, spiritual and physical needs that require nurse coordination, teaching, collaboration, and care.

For the more than 16 years that the annual Gallup poll has been conducted, nurses have been identified as the most trusted profession (with the exception of 2001 when firefighters topped the list after September 11th). We are lucky to be viewed so highly by our patients and other members of the healthcare team, but with trust comes huge responsibility and accountability. Patients listen to what we say and watch what we do. We need to be models of self-care and wellness. But with the growing demands in an increasingly complex healthcare system where hospitals and clinics must do more with less, nurses are often fatigued. The pre-flight safety message we all hear on an airplane about putting on your own oxygen mask first before helping others applies to the nursing profession, as well. As nurses, we are caregivers first and we spend a significant amount of our emotional energy caring for patients and their families. All too often, we go home to take care of our families and there’s nothing left for us personally. I challenge you then with the question - If we nurses don’t take care of ourselves, how can we ever take good care of others?

As the president of Chamberlain University, I take my job of educating our future nurses very seriously. Teaching nursing students the importance of caring for themselves and others is woven into everything we do. Last fall, I published a book that shares Chamberlain’s seven-year journey to transform our culture and work climate into a culture of care. Chamberlain Care has enhanced the services and support provided to students and faculty and has improved satisfaction, engagement and academic outcomes. In fact, an independently administered survey of international colleague engagement benchmarked Chamberlain faculty and staff against employees of all types of companies worldwide. Since 2013, our Chamberlain employee engagement scores, including faculty engagement, have continued to rival benchmark scores for the best companies in the world. My personal passion is proving to the world that a positive culture is essential to individual and organizational health – and as a by-product has a positive impact on the bottom line.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked in many different work environments and I’ve found that I’m most productive and successful when I feel supported. After all, if you don’t feel appreciated, how can you come to work every day and give it your all?  This theory also applies to nurses. If nurses who are caring for our sickest and most vulnerable people don’t feel cared for, how will they deliver person-centered care to patients and families? 

During this National Nurses Week, let’s take time to reflect on and make a commitment to both caring for ourselves better so we can each do our best work – whatever client we serve – and improving our care of those who work in our organizations.  A few ways I focus on my own self-care are:

  • I believe that as a leader, it is my responsibility to inspire my team and colleagues. To do that, I have to be inspired myself, which means finding my inspiration and recharging my batteries when needed. In addition to attending workshops and conferences to learn and be inspired in my work, I often use such things as music, spending time in deep conversation with friends, boating, and swimming, as ways to recharge.
  • Of course, living a healthy lifestyle is critical to self-care and having enough reserves to give of yourself to others. Though I work on it, I could certainly be better in this category.
  • Though  I could be better with my diet and exercise, I do take time for reflection and gratitude. Starting and/or ending the day with a thankful attitude is an important factor in my energy and ability to deal with stress.

I would be interested in hearing your most effective ways to take care of yourself and promote your own self-care. We can all learn something from each other! 

Thank you to all fellow nurses for the work you do every day to make this world a better place for so many. 

Happy Nurses’ Week!

By Susan Groenwald

More from Care For You

View all >
chamberlain nurses strong
Nurses: 7 Tips for Self Care and Resilience
Read more
relaxation-tips-for-nurses
Top 4 Relaxation Tips for Nurses
Read more
nurse resolution 2019
4 Resolutions Every Nurse Should Make in 2019
Read more
opioid crisis
Healthcare Professionals Determined to Take Down the Opioid…
Read more
Show more >

Request More Information

To receive the Chamberlain University Program Guide, including associated career paths, please select a program of study.

Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Student Portal Login

Main Campus
Addison Campus
1221 North Swift Road
Addison, IL 60101 

National Management Offices
500 W. Monroe St, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60661

All Campus Locations
Contact

Footer Menu Column 1

  • Online Programs
  • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
  • Alumni Association
  • Chamberlain Marketplace
  • Military
  • Leadership
  • Catalog & Viewbook

Footer Menu Column 2

  • Student Portal
  • Student Consumer Info
  • Accreditation
  • Parent Organization
  • CA Performance Fact Sheets
  • CA BPPE Annual Report
  • CA BPPE Website

Footer Menu Column 3

  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • Student Disability Services
  • Office of Equity and Access

Footer Social Media Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

2022 Chamberlain Universtiy LLC. All rights reserved.

Footer Menu Line 1

  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • *140,000 Chamberlain students, alumni and faculty

    † Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post graduate APRN certificate programs at Chamberlain University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, (https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE). The Chamberlain University Doctor of Nursing Practice (delivered via distance education) is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202-909-2526). Chamberlain University’s Master of Public Health Program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, www.ceph.org. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation, www.cswe.org. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Chamberlain University Physician Assistant Program. 

    To report unresolved complaints to the Illinois Board of Higher Education visit their webpage at https://complaints.ibhe.org/ or by mail to 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, IL 62701-1377. View Chamberlain's complaint process.

    Chamberlain University confers online degrees from its Main Campus in Addison, IL.

    Chamberlain University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com
    ©2022 Chamberlain University LLC. All rights reserved.