ABSTRACT
When working with vulnerable populations of patients, who often fail to value their own health, clinicians must also maintain their own physical and mental well-being in order to be effective. To put it simply: you must take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of your patients. Self-care enhances a clinician’s resilience when dealing with challenging situations in your practice.
In primary care, resilience involves the art of equanimity. This means maintaining balance and composure during peaks and troughs: the practical diagnoses, as well as the effective interventions; the surprising and rewarding positive patient outcomes, as well as the unexpected deaths, nearly missed pathologies and failures despite our best efforts to improve patient health.
This chapter explores further:
Defining resilience and why it matters in a primary care setting.
Protection clinicians against burnout.
Examples of successful self-care practices and practical suggestions for practice.
