Although there have been many different approaches and techniques used in nursing over the decades, holistic nursing, medicine, and healthcare practice remains highly popular with many practitioners – and patients too!
Holistic care revolves around looking at patients beyond their literal care needs and assessing their wel-lbeing as a whole. This article will dive into the concept in more detail below, but ultimately, it is a practice that aims to promote all-around well-being, not just resolve specific injuries and illnesses. This article will also examine what holistic nursing actually entails in the modern era and how nurses can introduce elements of holistic practice into their patient cases and care plans.
What is holistic nursing and care?
Holistic nursing care looks at the ‘big picture’ when it comes to treating patients, which means carers might look beyond the problems they are experiencing and their physical health to ensure overall well-being. For holistic nurses and carers practicing holistic therapies, care revolves around providing social, emotional, and spiritual attention – not just dressing wounds and providing necessary medicine.
The concepts of holistic care revolve around empathy so that nurses care for the patient as a whole person. They’re not simply addressing the case that led them to hospital or surgery, but making sure they leave healthcare happy and fulfilled.
Holistic nurses believe that emotional and psychological well-being are just as important as physical health regardless of why a patient initially came to receive care.
Why is holistic care considered important?
Though studies into the effectiveness of holistic care from a healthcare angle are ongoing, there are several categories that can measure whether patients are likely to welcome these techniques.
For example, nurses who fulfill the spiritual needs of patients – ensuring they have access to prayer rooms and that the traditional care they receive falls within the remits of their religious practice – help patients feel more respected and more confident in the care provided.
In many cases, patients need to talk about their experiences and only feel fully supported if their nurses and caregivers are willing to discuss their concerns openly. Being open to discuss worries and questions helps to satisfy an emotional need.
Furthermore, people who are anticipating surgery or treatment results frequently look to talk through their forthcoming treatments so they can process what lies ahead. Openly communicating with patients ensures they feel at ease.
Holistic care can also introduce a variety of external stimuli to influence patients’ moods and help to distract them from their ongoing troubles.
During care and after treatment, holistic nurses might also encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices, regardless of why they visited a hospital or clinic. Doing so ensures their patients can get back to a happy, healthy existence (and hopefully avoid needing hospital attention so soon again in the future).
These are just a few reasons why many nurses use holistic techniques when treating patients. One of the most appealing reasons for following these strategies is that they can be useful alongside various physical treatments and traditional practices.
How do nurses learn holistic care practices?
Holistic treatment isn’t always available through formal education, though many colleges and universities encourage students to follow paths that appeal to their interests. This means students can choose to follow the holistic route should they find the idea of ‘all-over’ healthcare intriguing. Moreover, some nursing students might choose to study holistic care principles if they personally feel they would benefit from them.
Several MSN FNP programs online, such as the course provided by the University of Indianapolis, provide open routes for nurses to research and adopt different care principles ahead of graduation. Through the University of Indianapolis’ online MSN, for example, students can learn about advanced health assessments, primary care diagnostics, and advanced practices. There is plenty of room for budding nurses to flex their holistic muscles.
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) will work with a variety of people across different demographics and community backgrounds. Therefore, many will likely adopt various holistic and traditional care techniques as they progress through their careers. On the other hand, picking up some techniques online and through formal education is certainly recommended for FNPs who wish to hit the ground running as a holistic nurse.
Integrating holistic care principles into nursing practice
Before bringing in any holistic techniques as part of a traditional care plan, it is always good for nurses to remember that not all patients will react to practices in the same way. Therefore, nurses need to actively listen to their patients to understand which techniques are likely to support their needs best.
The following holistic techniques all work well together with traditional practice. However, nurses looking to expand their repertoire should keep in mind that this list of techniques only covers the most common. They should always be prepared to adapt holistic and traditional nursing techniques to each individual patient!
Be open to spiritual needs
One of the core tenets of holistic care is often the need for spiritual respect. Nurses never truly know the spiritual or religious beliefs of a patient until they openly discuss their needs and expectations.
All nurses and FNPs must follow ethical codes to ensure people from all backgrounds and religions receive the same care and attention. Even if a patient follows vastly different religious practices from the nurse themselves, they should never ignore the patient’s need for spiritual respect.
Holistic nurses frequently approach spiritual needs during traditional care by seeking in-house chaplains that patients can speak with if they are worried about how a particular treatment might interfere with their worship or practice.
In many cases, showing adequate spiritual respect revolves around being an active listener. It is important for nurses to provide patients with the dignity they deserve, regardless of what they might be going through and the religion they follow.
In the case of palliative care, for example, a holistic nurse might discuss a patient’s case with an in-house chaplain to ensure they meet their needs. Some followers of the Christian faith might require last rites from an ordained minister, for example. To ensure a patient receives adequate care as a whole –not just for physical demands – a nurse could arrange for a priest to visit and deliver said rites.
Communicate openly with patients, but listen more
One of the best ways to introduce holistic practice into traditional care plans is to simply listen more to what patients need. While a nurse might easily diagnose a patient’s physical needs if they are injured or entering surgery, for example, they have little insight into how they feel internally. Therefore, where possible, a holistic nurse will ask patients open questions and let them lead conversations if they feel comfortable doing so.
Simple actions such as learning more about a patient’s life and experiences – even just using their preferred name and showing basic respect – help to build rapport and trust. This can improve expected patient outcomes.
Many patients are unsure about how to approach anxiety regarding medicine and treatments. A holistic nurse might take the time to build rapport with a patient so they feel safe enough to discuss how they feel – with the understanding that they might never open up.
However, giving a patient space and being willing to listen can help them to relax. Doing so helps to build a more nurturing environment and solidifies the nurse-patient relationship. Introducing humanistic elements of holistic practice ensures that patients feel genuinely cared for, and that their caregivers have their best interests at heart. This might seem fairly obvious, but communicating openly and taking the position as a listener ensures patients have space to breathe and build relationships with caregivers as they see fit.
Provide external stimuli
Stimulating patients’ senses during treatment can help provide calm and relaxation. Holistic nurses might take this approach, for example, if their patients show signs of anxiety or voices their concerns regularly.
Offering extra stimuli to patients ensures they have something additional to focus on. Following holistic principles, distracting and stimulating patients positively can help to fulfill psychological and emotional needs. In times of stress, it can soothe their nerves. Therefore, nurses following holistic methods in traditional care plans might integrate regular aromatherapy sessions with patients provided they are receptive to the idea. During downtime between surgery and treatment, for example, a nurse might provide gentle aromas through incense or air diffusers depending on hospital or clinic rules.
Furthermore, music can benefit the emotional and psychological well-being of patients, particularly if they are keen to find distractions from treatment. In a private room at a hospital or care center, a nurse might arrange for a patient’s favorite music to be played. In some cases, holistic nurses might also build playlists of calming or meditation music to help soothe patients.
Offer therapy through creative pursuits
Many people find that expressing themselves creatively is a great way to satisfy psychological needs. Therefore, some nurses might encourage setting up art classes in clinics or hospitals to bring people together and express themselves through painting or drawing.
This could take place during a typical hospital day, welcoming people from various wards and departments to come together and explore their feelings and experiences through art. This idea could satisfy patients’ needs for social interaction, expression, and emotional realization.
Some nurses might also be able to provide music exploration – patients who are well enough to try playing instruments might find it therapeutic to make and play tunes as part of a group activity. Again, this would help to satisfy the patient’s need for social interaction.
Not all hospitals or clinics allow for full-scale classes, but nurses could still provide patients with art materials they can use individually and encourage them to share their work and discuss it together. Nurses who show a genuine interest in patients’ creative exploits might find they are more receptive and trusting over time.
Encourage meditation and mindfulness
Regardless of the treatment or case a patient might be involved in, many holistic nurses recommend daily meditation and calming exercises to help people refocus their thoughts during what might be confusing times. Meditation exercises such as controlled breathing and body scanning could help patients to re-center themselves, focusing on the moment rather than an uncertain future. These techniques are also commonly used to help support mental health counseling.
Nurses might be able to provide meditation classes or yoga sessions to patients who are physically able to attend. Or they might encourage individual meditation sessions by providing access to apps and playlists at the bedside. Regardless, practicing mindfulness can help to take patients’ minds off cases and to focus on the present.
For many holistic nurses, mindfulness and meditation practice can help their patients to boost their psychological and emotional well-being alongside traditional techniques and practices.
Are holistic techniques the future of interpersonal care?
Although not all nurses and healthcare professionals will subscribe to holistic approaches when treating patients, it is clear that attending to people’s emotional and psychological needs – and respecting their spiritual practices – can improve patient outcomes.
If nothing else, introducing holistic techniques into traditional nursing can help caregivers to build closer rapport with their patients. What’s more, patients can leave hospital or clinic care feeling valued and supported, and often with insight into how to care for themselves ‘wholly’ in the future.
However, it is also important to consider the self-care needs of nurses and caregivers. Happy, healthy nurses who practice what they preach can give extra weight to the argument for holistic care methods. Ultimately, they will have a clearer understanding of what is likely to work best for patients in specific cases.