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Holist nursing is a specialty field that combines nursing knowledge, theory, intuition, and experience as guidance for forming a partnership with the patient in order to increase healing and promote health. The philosophy of holistic nursing is that every human being is made up of mind, body, spirit, and emotion. A patient's physical, spiritual, and psychological systems all work together, and each part affects the other. As a result, the whole is seen as greater than the sum of its parts.
All aspects of the patient's life are included in assessment and intervention; culture, society, background, environment, and relationships are all interrelated and work together. Holistic nursing practice acknowledges and honors the patient's life experiences and their health beliefs and values. All humans also affect each other, and relationships exist globally between all humans.
Holistic nursing may use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as acupressure, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, chiropractic medicine, dance therapy, homeopathy, meditation, osteopathy, and yoga; as well as many other treatment modalities. CAM is not a replacement for traditional medicine, but is used in addition to traditional medicine to enhance healing, health, and well-being of patients.
Holistic nursing is seen as a way of being. Holistic nurses must personally develop high levels of responsibility, self-care, reflection, and spirituality in their own lives. This allows for self-awareness and an understanding of the relationship between nature, spirit, others, and themselves. A liberal arts background also helps to provide a framework for holistic nursing practice; the mind is expanded, critical thinking skills are increased, and personal growth occurs.
Holistic Nursing Theories and Models
- Erickson, Tomlin, and Swain's Modeling and Role-Modeling
- Newman's Health as Expanding Consciousness
- Parse's Human Becoming Theory
- Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings
- Watson's Philosophy and Science of Caring
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