Today, the concepts of person-centered and compassionate care are emphasized by both nursing theorists and healthcare policymakers. Respectful and empathetic caring, acknowledging patients as persons, are viewed as essential and are often seen as self-evident. However, fully realizing this ideal appears to be a significant challenge. This presentation aims to highlight some of the challenges to compassionate care, using examples from my own research and that of my doctoral students, as well as to underscore the importance of self-care and self-compassion. The ethical implications of how caregivers perceive their responsibility to provide holistic and person-centered care are explored through research on the interactions between ambulance clinicians and patients in suicidal crises. This research reveals that varying interpretations of professional responsibility significantly impact how these clinicians engage with suicidal patients, which, in turn, patients perceive as influencing their will to live. The consequences of feeling unable to provide ethical and high-quality care are illustrated through studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research shows that the ethical stress has sometimes been so overwhelming that nurses have been traumatized, torn between the desire to compassionately care for patients, and the fear of succumbing to the circumstances. A common thread in these situations is that an ethical stance is closely linked to proximity and compassion for the patient. However, such closeness requires that healthcare professionals are able to care for themselves and manage their own reactions. Without this, there is a risk of them distancing themselves from the patient and focusing solely on the technical aspects of care. Thus, self-care and self-compassion among healthcare professionals emerge as equally important for providing quality care as compassion for others. Therefore, I will conclude by discussing several key themes that have proven essential in promoting self-care, and thus contribute to sustainable healthcare for professionals and patients.