Practice of Holistic Nursing - Research Paper Example

Holistic Nursing Definition and ification of complementary therapies Complementary and alternative therapies are treatment techniques that are meant to evoke healing. (Andrist & Nicholas & Wolf, 2006). The use of the word ‘alternative’ started in the 1990s when holistic nursing was treated as a new field. Then ‘alternative medicine’ was taken to mean practices not taught in medical schools. Complementary therapy is the term that is preferred by many authors to mean therapies that are not part of the conventional western biomedicine (Snyder & Lindquist, 2001). Other terms are also used. These include: holistic care, integrative medicine, non-allopathic treatments and non-traditional care. The term complementary is preferred because it conveys the idea that these therapies are used together with, rather than as a replacement for biomedical treatment. On the other hand, the term alternative conveys the thought of a therapy being used in place of a biomedical treatment. Finding a good definition for complementary therapies has been an uphill task. Several definitions have been proposed. The complementary therapy is a broad area of medicine that is made up of health systems, practices and modalities plus their accompanying beliefs. In the definition, the term complementary medicine is used n place of complementary therapies. However, the word “medicine” can be changed to “therapies”. There are more than 1700 identified complementary therapies. Classifying these therapies is as daunting as coming up with their definition. This is because the therapies vary and they encompass indigenous cultural practices that are vastly unknown in the western world. Additional challenges come up because the mechanisms of action for many complementary therapies are not known (Lange & Zahourek & Mariano 2013). NCCAM has suggested the following groups for complementary therapy: biological based therapies, mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies and energy therapies. NCCAM has noted that a complementary therapy is no longer classified as a complementary therapy once it becomes an accepted treatment for specific conditions (NCCAM, 2005). The boundaries between complementary therapy and the dominant health care systems keep changing. As a result, what may be considered as complementary at a point in time can be recognized as part of the mainstream healthcare later on. Acceptance of complementary treatment Complementary and alternative therapies are healthcare topics that have instigated discussion and debate in a large way. Many people in the US have shown considerable interest in these topics. This is evident in social media, television newscasts and national surveys. A certain survey that was carried out in the United States, showed that 42% of those surveyed have at one time used either one complementary therapy or more (Snyder & Lindquist, 2001). The majority of Americans used their own money to pay for these services. Complementary therapies have been used for such a long time. History has proved that a number of therapies that are now considered complementary were effective. People of old like Plato and Aristotle made reference to these therapies. Our western system of care is reluctant to accept the historical evidence that stands as proof for the effectiveness of the therapies. For instance, practices in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and the healing systems of indigenous cultures have proven valid over centuries. The popularity of complementary therapies in Europe is far much greater than in the United States. In Germany, the integral part of health care is herbs. Therapies that are labeled as complementary or alternative are the main mode of health care worldwide. Though herbal medicines in Africa are not adequately researched, and are weakly regulated, they have proven helpful in controlling minor sicknesses; for example, use of herbs to relieve tooth aches.. As noted earlier, a number of Americans use these therapies. The majority use the therapies together with biomedical treatments. Many may wish to avoid the effects of medication that are perceived to be worse than the condition being treated. Others may desire a healthcare provider who is caring. A mutual complaint from patients is that health providers hurriedly make an assessment and prescribe medication instead of listening to them. After visiting a complementary therapist, many patients remark that the therapist took some time to listen to their problems and concerns. The rise in immigrants from different cultures that use a system of healthcare that is different from the western biomedical system has contributed to the increased use of comparative therapies. Due to this immigration, Americans have become familiar with therapies such as acupuncture, herbal preparation and meditation. Trends in nursing education The nursing procedure was started in the 1950s.it consisted of a four part problem-solving approach, that is: assessing, planning, intervening and evaluating. A fifth element, diagnosis, was added later. This process focused on interventions and the honing of assessment skills. A line was drawn to mark out dependent or collaborative actions from the independent actions or interventions. In nursing, therapies that are referred to as complementary have often been included in the term interventions. Development of the classification and identification of nursing interventions in the National Intervention Classification Project (NIC) include all nursing activities in the term interventions (Gaydos 2001). Due to increasing public demand and enthusiasm for complementary and alternative therapies (CAT), nurse educators are being motivated to consider the inclusion of the topic in nursing curricula. This is currently being done in the United States and the United Kingdom. A national conference that was sponsored by the National Institute of Health (NIC) was held IN 1996. They aimed at addressing the issue of nursing and medical education. The conclusion of the matter was that information about complementary practices would be incorporated in nursing and medical education. The kind and size of information was not specified. Students are required to know about believes and philosophies from which interventions are derived. It is observed that learners need to learn about specific therapies. It is therefore necessary to include this therapeutics in the assessments. Examples of therapies taught in the curricula are, use of acupressure for nausea, other therapies may include therapeutic touch, guided imagery, prayer and relaxation techniques. Authors have proposed that at graduate level, research investigating the safety, mode of action and efficacy be incorporated. A course on complementary and alternative therapies was formulated for the nursing students. An experimental approach to learning was proposed. This is because some interventions require a higher mastery level while others are easily acquired. Easily acquired interventions are, music, art journaling, humor, storytelling and reminiscence. Interventions such as progressive relaxation, therapeutic touch, hypnosis and yoga require high levels of mastery. Reiser’s mind-brain theory is used as a framework in the field of psychoneurological nursing. Experimental exercises include imagery, writing, values clarification and affirmations. A lot of importance is also engaged on the importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep and play. A number of centers have been set up with aid from The National Institute of Health (NIC). One such center is the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies (CSCAT) whose location is at the University of Virginia school of Nursing. At this center, focus is directed on the management of chronic and acute pain. Researchers at this center include physicians, nurses, chiropractors and psychologists. (Gaydos 2001). At University of Colorado Springs, At Beth-EL College of Health Sciences, courses that integrate complementary therapies into the curriculum are taught. In their first year of study, nursing students are introduced to a course that discusses the theoretical, philosophical and legal foundations of nursing. Students read articles that elaborate specific therapies that may prove useful to them. They later meet in groups to discuss their readings and assessments. Some students go a step further and incorporate some therapies in their lives. They also do research on different topics and later write a paper describing the various theoretical foundations of the practice (Gaydos 2001). For nurses seeking to advance their education about complementary therapies, there are various programs endorsed by The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Example include: Nurses Certificate Program Imagery, the Healing Touch Program, and Aromatherapy for Health Professionals (Gaydos 2001). At this stage, the issue is not about whether it is right to include complementary therapies in the nursing curricula, rather, it is about the issues and trends in teaching the therapies. These issues are caused by differing paradigms of biomedicine. The complex issues are the cause of the remaining reluctance to include complementary therapies in the curricula. Though nursing and medicine may have a different focus, nursing has undergone various developments in the scientific paradigm. Paradigm values are evident in the nursing education. Paradigms do not always value free. Nursing education, support students’ values and challenges them at the same time. Some therapeutics may be based on values that may conflict with traditional U.S values of individualism and self-reliance or Christians’ perspective on the greater life questions such as the purpose of life. Therefore, in the search of answers to such questions, societies define health and illnesses, healers and healing methods to be employed (Gaydos 2001). Conclusion The persistent and increasing use of complementary therapies is causing changes in the acceptability of this therapeutics in medical and nursing education. However this integration of complementary therapies with modern biomedicine is raising a number of difficult questions. Nursing educators who seek to incorporate complementary and alternative therapies are being confronted by issues that arise from the different paradigms. It is therefore necessary to create an accepting learning environment in order to overcome misunderstandings of the complementary therapies. More study is needed so as to determine what to be taught, to whom, how, and when. It is a good starting point to include content that addresses comparative therapies in the nursing curricula. Educators should bear in mind that the aims of graduate and continuing educations are different; therefore, they should plan the contents accordingly. References Andrist, L., Nicholas, P., & Wolf, K. (2006). A History of Nursing Ideas. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the American Public, Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Institute of Medicine. (2005). Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Gaydos, H. B. (2001). Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Nursing Education: Trends and Issues. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 5. Lange, B., Zahourek, R., & Mariano, C. (2013). A Legacy Building Model for Holistic Nursing. Journal Of Holistic Nursing, 32(2), 116-126. Do: 10.1177/0898010113504493 Snyder , M., & Lindquist, R. (2001). Issues in Complementary Therapies: How We Got to Where We Are. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 2. Read More