We all have an idea of the role of a nurse- they are tasked with helping people treat conditions, avoid medical issues and boost their overall health. However, if you dig deeper into the nursing field, things begin to get a bit murky. An area that might have poked your curiosity is holistic nursing. While a quick search online will tell you it’s a way of treating a patient as a whole, you have many other questions that require answers. In this read, the experts at The Nurse Coach Collective will be addressing what holistic nursing means and the role of a holistic nurse.
What is Holistic Nursing?
Holistic nursing is a form of treatment that considers all aspects of a patient’s condition. These include the physiological, emotional, psychological, cultural, environmental, and spiritual aspects. The individual is viewed as a whole and unlike traditional medicine, no aspect of the patient is taken out of context or overlooked.
Given the increasing number of chronic conditions today, holistic nursing offers individuals a bigger array of options when it comes to treatment. Holistic nurses know that traditional medicine is not always the answer and since its inception, nursing has always been holistic.
How is Holistic Nursing Beneficial?
This form of treatment is appealing for many reasons including:
1. It is Not Disease-Centric
Holistic medicine and care consider more than just the apparent symptoms and diagnosis. As such, it is not considered a disease-centric form of treatment. The nurse will come up with a model where they coordinate with other professionals in order to address aspects such as environmental and cultural concerns.
2. It Considers the Whole Person
Holistic nursing has become popular in most parts of the world as it allows practitioners to treat or care for the whole individual. Nurses, in particular, want to feel that their jobs are less task-based and more focused on patient well-being and true healing.
3. It Provides Better Results
According to extensive studies, holistic nursing has been shown to provide better results, which is an appeal to both patients and practitioners. When nurses take an integrated approach in holistic nursing, the patients feel the treatment’s authenticity as well as human caring, leading to positive results.
4. Holistic Nurses Realize the Need
Sometimes, conventional medicine alone just does not do it. Some methods outright do not work and others do not solve the root of the problem. Regardless more and more practitioners and nurses are realizing the need and appeal of holistic care.
Recently, we have seen an increase in medical professionals who are integrating complementary therapies such as massage, acupuncture, wellness coaching, stress management, and more into mainstream healthcare.
5. It is a Healthier Route for Nurses
In a field where physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion or nursing burnout is rampant, it is easy to see why the practices in holistic nursing not only help the patients but the nurses as well.
Holistic care introduces and encourages nurses to engage in self-care, reflecting on their personal and professional lives as well as spirituality. One of the core ideals of holistic nursing is self-care, which is vital in preventing nursing burnout.
In this practice, nurses are able to comprehend the importance of self-care and in turn, they are able to do their best to take care of their patients.
What is the Role of a Holistic Nurse?
There are numerous myths and misconceptions regarding holistic nursing and so, it is important to know exactly what holistic nurses do. People have a misperception that holistic nursing involves ”Doing” while at its core, it is about ”Being”.
Also, you may want to note that practicing holistic nursing does not require certifications in alternative or complementary medicine. However, the individual may choose to pursue certification domains like massage, guided imagery, healing touch, clinical aromatherapy, and mindfulness meditation.
As mentioned earlier, holistic nurses integrate alternative or complementary medicine into nursing or traditional medicine practices. Depending on the available treatments and/or the location, a holistic nurse can handle the following:
-Aromatherapy
-Stress management
-Meditation
-Acupuncture
-Hydrotherapy
-Wellness Coaching
-Hypnosis
-Balneotherapy
A holistic nurse can implement independent healing practices, integrating yoga, music, dance and many more with their expertise in nursing. They can also collaborate with other professionals to incorporate complementary medicine into conventional medical care. Lastly, they can decide to take it a step further and become a holistic nurse practitioner.
So, is Holistic Nursing Right For You? Contact us right now at The Nurse Coach Collective and we can discuss the opportunities for you!