INDIANAPOLIS—The newest title from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) provides tools for new and student nurses to build a self-care toolkit to help them avoid the burnout, high attrition rate, empathy fatigue, and moral distress that has been part of the nursing profession for years. Self-Care for New and Student Nurses is the only comprehensive guide addressing self-care for student and early-career nurses on the market. It also includes non-traditional self-care topics such as narrative medicine and appreciative practices.

Authors Dorrie K. Fontaine, Tim Cunningham, and Natalie B. May, as well as a diverse group of contributors, guide readers with tips, exercises, and personal perspectives that offer readers multiple ways to prioritize their own mental, physical, and emotional health. Self-Care for New and Student Nurses shows that the lifelong practice of self-care is not selfish and is as much about the mind as it is the body. In addition to personal self-care practices, this book discusses the importance of healthy work environments and encourages readers to advocate for themselves and others.

“There is great wisdom among nurses, physicians, and others about growing through adversity, managing stress, and maintaining health and well-being. This book is an opportunity to gather this collective wisdom and share it with young nurses,” said author Natalie B. May, PhD.

Download a sample chapter, instructor’s guide, and student workbook from the Sigma Repository.

The book is available to purchase at SigmaMarketplace.org/SigmaBooks. 

Self-Care for New and Student Nurses
By Dorrie K. Fontaine, PhD, RN, FAAN; Tim Cunningham, DrPH, MSN, RN, FAAN; and Natalie B. May, PhD
Published by Sigma, 2021
ISBN-13: 9781948057813
EPUB ISBN: 9781948057820
PDF ISBN: 9781948057837 
MOBI ISBN: 9781948057844
Price: US $59.95
Trade paperback, 560 pages
Trim size: 7 3/8 x 9 1/8

About the authors:

Dorrie K. Fontaine, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the Dean Emerita at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing and founder of UVA’s Compassionate Care Initiative, which has grown to be a guiding force in transforming the culture of the school with a focus on fostering human flourishing and resilience for students, faculty, and staff. 

Tim Cunningham, DrPH, MSN, RN, FAAN, is the Vice President of Practice and Innovation at Emory Healthcare, where he also holds a joint appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University.

Natalie May, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing, where she is a founding member of the UVA Center for Appreciative Practice where she develops and teaches appreciative inquiry projects and workshops. 

About Sigma:
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 135,000 active members and 550 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. 

Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.