Nursing Education for Holistic Care

 Holistic Care and Nursing Education

What Is Holistic Nursing Care,Implementation of Holistic Care In Nursing,Holistic Care and Spirituality In Nursing Education,Holistic Association In Nursing Education.

What Is Holistic Nursing Care

    Holistic nursing care is defined as "all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal" (Thornton, nd , p. 1). The process of holistic nursing care takes into account complementary and alternative approaches within the provision of health care to address the totality of the individual. Brady (2013) characterized the definition of holistic care as "the inter-relationship of body, mind, and spirit, and the promotion of psychological, physiological, and sociological well-being" (p. 31). 

    Each of these definitions integrates the ideas of managing the care of the individual from all vantage points mind, body, and soul. In providing holistic nursing care, the nurse seeks to identify and incorporate the individual's unique understanding of health, health beliefs, and values. Thornton (nd) acknowledges that holistic nursing is a mind set. a way of life, and a method of conducting care. Every individual is valued as a unique person who is seen as having multiple components to embrace in the management of the health care plan.

Implementation of Holistic Care In Nursing

    A concept basis for holistic nursing is auto genesis. This concept is defined as "cultivating wellness through a healthy work-life balance and advocates for good health at three levels of existence physical, soulful, and spiritual" (Hudson, 2013, p. 12). Applying this concept in nursing education requires self-determination and commitment to partnerships in the learning process. Students along with faculty advocate for independence and autonomy for the patient. 

    Key to this process is multidimensional approaches. that influence and promote health and wellness Understanding that health and wellness take on unique meanings for each individual is crucial. Students can be encouraged to guide patients to identify self-care measures for enjoying life.Another component required in the provision of holistic nursing care is the idea of effective communication. According to Buck. (2013), straight talk with patients necessitates making peace with the patient's involvement in the plan of care, planning ahead for challenges communicating with all members of the team; prioritizing the aspects that are of paramount importance to the patient; and getting help when the need arises. 

    Each of these ideas is an important part in the process of engaging in holistic nursing care. Furthermore, discussing verbal and non verbal communication strategies should include these elements to help the student be successful.A final area of application is compassionate care. According to Price (2013), "compassionate care attends to the perceived needs and situations of patients, it draws on their existing knowledge and experience, and includes nurse expertise" (p. 53). Many aspects discussed in compassionate care and relationship-based care mirror the ideas included within holistic nursing care.

    The art of listening is vital to the provision of holistic nursing care. By actively listening to what the patient is saying and not saying, nurses can ascertain a better picture of the patient's needs and opportunities to provide holistic nursing care. Time is vital to providing holistic care, and is a finite commodity. Nurses are pulled in many different ways while providing care. Learning how to listen is critical to understanding the primary aspects important to the patient, which results in holistic nursing interventions.

Holistic Care and Spirituality In Nursing Education

    Wright and Neuberger (2012) address the topic of engaged spirituality. This is connecting with the spiritual side of a patient. The physical and social sides of a person tend to be linked. The spiritual and/or mind/soul part of the patient may be harder to incorporate into the plan of care. According to Wright and Neuberger (2012), "spirituality cultivates a deepening of our understanding of what it is to be human, of resources we can draw on to connect with and serve others" (p. 20). Understanding how to connect the mind, body, soul, and social realms into one plan of care requires careful, thoughtful engagement with multiple individuals on the team. 

    Byrne (2013) suggests that "quality holistic care requires that we understand the person we are caring for, but all too often these days, with shorter hospital stays and less nurse-patient contact, we do not get to know those we care for as well as we used to" (p. 28). Batcheller, Davis, and Yoder Wise (2013) investigated the spiritual aspect of patients in the workplace. Several strategies were given to support the management of spirituality at work. The strategies included huddles, rituals, partnerships, self-care, reflection, and tranquility rooms. Each of these strategies provides a foundation for addressing the total patient, thereby providing holistic care.

Holistic Association In Nursing Education

    The American Holistic Nurses Association (Jackson, 2012) has identified core values for holistic nursing care. Along with the core values, the association publishes Standards of Holistic Nursing Practice while providing a certification in the discipline. Jackson (2012) discusses several core values. These are personal awareness, maturity, research, resource utilization, cost-effectiveness, caring evidence-based practice, collegiality, collaboration, communication, therapeutic environment, cultural diversity, humor, leadership, and quality. 

    Each of these core values is integrated into the practice of holistic nursing care to ensure that the total individual is cared for as they desire.    Nurses have a mandate to keep an open mind and seek to address the total needs of the individual. Through the commitment to strive to understand the different facets of an individual mind, body, soul, and social the uniqueness of the person can be understood. At times, care of the physical side may be more needed, while at other times the social or mind/soul side needs more attention. 

    By striving to help the individual gain balance, the nurse helps the patient gain control of his or her situation.Research into these different aspects of holistic nursing care must be considered, identified, and carried out. Much of the differences within these areas are not known. The relationships among the body, mind, soul, and spirit must be investigated.