There is often a common misconception that nurses are somehow more resilient to loss because we witness it regularly. The truth is that no amount of professional training prepares you for terminal illness or bereavement when it comes calling in your personal life. Regardless of whether you are a mental health nurse, adult nurse, children’s nurse, or learning disability nurse, grief is a deeply personal and profoundly painful experience.

As a mental health nurse with a lived experience of a grieving heart following the loss of my much-loved dad, I have come to understand how essential self-compassion and self-care are in supporting my nursing practice while navigating the aftermath of loss.

The topics of self-care and self-compassion are of great interest to me, as nursing is a profession widely recognised as being associated with high levels of stress and burnout, an understanding reinforced through both theory and practice during nurse training. It is therefore essential for nurses to prioritise their own wellbeing by developing sustainable self-care and self-compassion practices. During challenging times, exploring a range of strategies can help support us as nurses in meeting our personal needs and strengthening our resilience.

Which brings me on to some insights that have been particularly helpful to me……

The Role of Self-Care
Nurses can draw on a range of strategies to cultivate self-compassion and prevent burnout. In my practice, I have found it essential to establish setting boundaries and defining my limits, ensuring a sustainable approach to care. Regular participation in clinical supervision provides an invaluable opportunity for reflective practice, allowing for the exploration of complex clinical experiences and emotional responses.

Other strategies identified by nurses within my team include the importance of avoiding working in isolation, thereby sharing experiences and emotions with one another.
Additionally, fellow nurses in my team have emphasised the value of prioritising our breaks and treating our own well-being with the same empathy and respect we offer our patients.
In nursing practice, we as nurses play a vital role in health promotion by providing guidance, encouragement, education, and empowerment to help our patients adopt active lifestyles and enhance their mental well-being. As nurses, it is essential that we model the behaviours we encourage in our patients.

Healthy eating, good sleep hygiene, exercise, art, music, spending time in nature, and connecting with others can all help. Social interactions contribute to holistic well-being. Personally, I am fortunate in my nursing role to have a supportive team I can reach out to, a reminder that connection is often as healing as any self-care ritual.

Journaling as an Act of Self-Compassion

For me, one of the most powerful self-care tools has been journaling. It is often described as an act of self-compassion, a space to release emotions, develop personally, and gain clarity.
Writing has always been cathartic for me, a way to work through feelings, reflect on experiences, and make sense of the chaos.

Honestly, this blog did not start out as a blog at all. More a collection of notes I gathered along the way.

As the New Year rolls in, and my own search history overflows with random “is it normal to…?” questions, I wondered if, by being a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) member and writing a RCN blog I could share my musings in the hope that they might resonate with other nurses.
Perhaps my reflections could help nurses like me, those who try to sustain a “culture of resilience” while quietly carrying grief, find moments of clarity, comfort, or connection.

Why Sharing Matters

Nursing requires resilience and emotional strength, but none of us should have to shoulder that weight alone. Sharing experiences, through journaling, conversation, or other forms of expression, can be a gentle but powerful way to care for ourselves.

My hope in writing this blog, I can offer a gentle reminder to fellow nurses that self-care and self-compassion isn’t optional, it’s essential. Carrying the weight of a demanding nursing role while grieving a loss can feel overwhelming, and trying to navigate support during such a vulnerable time can add to that burden.
Through these words, I hope you feel seen, understood, and reminded that you do not have to carry grief alone. If even a small part of this post resonated with you, please know that your experience matters and your voice deserves to be heard.

If you’re feeling drawn to connect, I warmly invite you to reach out. I would like to connect and share self-compassion and self-care ideas with you.

LinkedIn – Jodie Holding - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-holding-09702a228/
Instagram – @jjodders
Let’s raise our voices together.