Kim Richards, RN

Founder/Owner,   Self-Care Academy™ (formerly NurseFit®, Inc.)
President, Kim Richards & Associates, Inc.

Kim has almost 20 years experience in the Nursing Management Recruitment industry. She was hired by AORN, (the Association of Perioperative Nurses) to evaluate and re-launch their interim management and consultation department. As the General Manager of AORN Management Solutions, Kim led the business to significant growth through targeted marketing, development of strategic partnerships and relationship building. After three years, Kim left AORN to restart her own executive search firm, Kim Richards and Associates, Inc. which specializes in national recruitment of top nursing talent. The company has been successful in providing interim, permanent and consultative services for hospitals around the country.

Self-Care Academy

As a nurse and an executive recruiter, Kim became increasingly aware of the “revolving door” of nurses in acute care facilities. After participated in nursing conferences and interviewing hundreds of nurses, a common theme clearly emerged. Nurses were expressing signs and symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, a debilitating phenomenon caused by years of built up emotional residue.

Compassion Fatigue is manifested by physical, emotional and mental problems and is often the result of employees not making self care a priority in their own lives. By combining her nursing and fitness background, Kim created the components of Self-Care Academy, a comprehensive program dedicated to improving retention of engaged employees by addressing the mental, emotional and physical needs.

The Self-Care Academy program, “Caring for the Caregiver” focuses on sustainable, convenient, on site solutions for employees, including:

• Monthly coaching sessions to support lasting changes in self care behavior
• Onsite, convenient yoga classes easily adaptable to all fitness levels
• Onsite, convenient meditation classes
• Proven stress reduction techniques
• Inspirational monthly newsletters
• Incentivized participation
• Social media networking

Taken together, these elements reduce stress and strengthen the evidence-based, mandatory emotional connections that reignite the care giving spirit. The Self-Care Academy program teaches a new skill set to employees, emphasizing innovative ways to master their personal “circle of control”, a practice they can use on or off the job. Self-Care Academy “Caring for the Caregiver” classes emphasize that self-care is not “self-ish”, and demonstrate why routine, proactive self nurturing and “filling up our reservoirs” are essential to giving our best to those around us.

Kim lives in Colorado with her three dogs. Kim enjoys a very active lifestyle of hiking, biking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. She teaches aerobics, kickboxing and yoga at Bally Total Fitness. She enjoys traveling, volunteering, public speaking, reading.

Play time with Valentino