What is Holistic Nursing Care?
Nursing is a field in healthcare that deals with providing the best medical care to patients. Most professionals utilize medications and equipment to care for patients. It is often impersonal and professional, rather than personal and spiritual. Holistic nursing care is a section of nursing that focuses on the person's body, mind and spirit, in order to heal or treat conditions.
Self-Awareness
Holistic nurses must clear their minds of everything negative or discouraging, while giving care. In order for nurses to feel closer to their patients, they need to find self-awareness. This helps them better understand the medical, physical and psychological needs of each patient by first understanding their own needs.
Standards of Practice
Like all aspects of healthcare, there are strict standards of practice holistic nurses must abide by. The biggest standard in holistic nursing is to recognize and incorporate the entire body of the patient in care. They must consider these important things:
- Body
- Mind
- Spiritual and religious influences
- Environmental issues
- Emotional state
Types of Holistic Healing
There are five different areas that holistic nursing revolves around. These areas focus on treatment, healing and caring, without the use of traditional medications or any type of medical machinery. Herbs, massage and acupuncture are several treatments used in these areas.
- Whole medical systems
- Manipulative and body-based practices
- Mind-body medicine
- Biology based practices
- Energy medicine
American Holistic Nurses Association
Holistic nurses will benefit from joining the association. Since 1980, the association is recognized as a major source of inspiration to its members. Nurses receive extra guidance, information and support as they do their all-important job of caring for patients.