It probably has happened to anyone who's ever worked as a staff nurse. You're changing the dressing on one patient, but you're also thinking about another patient's IV anti-biotic that is due to run out any minute and a blood glucose that has to be rechecked in 15. This trend, coupled with consumers' escalating interest in alternative, or complementary, therapies, is likely to impact nursing by increasing future opportunities and enhancing current professional practice, according to nurse experts. Often the practice of holistic nursing and alternative therapies, such as therapeutic massage, biofeedback and reflexology, are intertwined.
Holistic nurses can practice in any setting, from hospitals to private practice.
For holistic nurses, however, the modality is just a vehicle for the nurse to connect with the patient, she said. Connecting with the patient is what holistic nursing is all about. Another vital aspect of holistic nursing is self-care. AHNA proposes that most nurses are holistic nurses. RNs have been taught to view the patient as multi-dimensional.