ONS Connect - December 2008 - (Page 23) CAREGivERCARE Take the Stress Out of the Holiday Season [By Barbara Lubejko, RN, MS, ONS Education Team Project Manager] hh, the winter holidays—that time of year when we love to find the perfect gift, gather family and friends, or enjoy a treat. However, because most of us must work during the holidays, the excitement of the season can be overshadowed by stress and fatigue. So it is important to find ways to keep yourself energized. Welsh (1999) described several strategies to recharge your batteries. • Practice responsible selfishness. We need to engage in “activities, pasttimes, and pursuits with no purpose other than to recharge and renew personal energies. . . . By allotting significant time on a regular basis to selfishly indulge in such activities, we find ourselves better able to respond to the needs of others” (p. 183). Make the time to go for a walk, read a good book, or take a nap. Indulge yourself a little each day in whatever it is that A helps you to feel rested and energized. • Remember to laugh. Laughter can be a beneficial strategy for dealing with chronic stress. Read the comics, share humorous anecdotes with your colleagues and friends, watch those I Love Lucy reruns—whatever tickles your funny bone! Working as an oncology nurse is defi- nitely stressful, and this can be intensified by the demands of the holiday season. Take a few minutes to think about how you can make this a happier, less stressful time for yourself. ✱ Welsh, D.J. (1999). Care for the caregiver: Strategies for avoiding “compassion fatigue.” Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 3(4), 183–184. FDA Launches New Consumer Drug Web Sites The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched two new Web sites in September that help consumers navigate prescription drug advertising. The Advertising Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Web site (www.fda.gov/oc/promotion) provides a “one-stop shop” portal to information on FDA regulation of medical product promotion. Industry and policy users can get directly to relevant laws, regulations, and guidances. The direct-to-consumer Web site, Be Smart About Prescription Drug Advertising: A Guide for Consumers (www.fda.gov/cder/ethicad/index.htm), educates consumers about how to use such advertising to help inform their discussions with healthcare providers and improve patient understanding and medical care. December 2008 ONS CONNECT 23 http://www.fda.gov/oc/promotion http://www.fda.gov/cder/ethicad/index.htm
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