My Philosopjy Of Holistic Nursing
Holistic nursing is a philosophy, a way of engaging with patients, families and colleagues, a way of being in service by shifting one’s consciousness simultaneously with technology to help the patient access their own healing. It’s a way to bring calm, compassion and trust by using your words and presence as an instrument. US healthcare is moving away from holistic healing because hospital executives worry about their profit margin allowing doctors and nurses to spend 3 to 5 minutes with each patient. Healthcare professionals are unable to spend quality time with their patients therefore there is a rise in prescriptions and readmissions because communication is very important in diagnosis.
I believe in talking through the anxiety and educating the patient on best practice for self-care. I believe in presenting the patient with options they can understand. Practicing holistically means working with the patient in their journey by understanding and sympathizing with them. I always wanted to be a nurse but I switched and completed a MS degree in finance instead. I thought that even if I went to nursing school, I would not be able to make any impact on the patient’s lives because of the current limitations in modern medicine. I was scared that while caring too much, I would end up burned out and hating my job. On June 2018, my OB/GYN’s delivered some terrible news; I was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy and I needed to be rushed to emergency surgery. At that moment, instead of thinking about me, all I kept imagining is somewhere in Haiti, my homeland, there is a woman dying of this exact issue. Here I am, as undeserving as I am, getting a second chance at life.
Four months later, I am going through this adventure, nursing school, that so many have gone through to make a small dent in world suffering. Rasmussen will give me the skills and knowledge needed to be a good nurse but I feel that nursing is a calling. Knowing how to practice is definitely required, however, attending to ill patients with no malice, no after-thought and no disdain is 90% of what Florence Nightingale was hoping holistic nursing would mean to us. No school can teach you these values. A nurse must be able to walk into a room, engage in meaningful conversation with the patients while attending to their physical needs whether it’s head to toe assessment or administering medication. The holistic approach promotes a better life for the individual because it takes into account all these factors by a specific individualized treatment, adapted to each case. I want to acquire practical and theoretical knowledge of holistic approaches, to care, to maximize the resources of the person and their environment in relation to their health and well-being. I want to develop personal strengths related to the creativity of care. I believe modern medicine should not be a pill mill but should encompass exploration and application of different holistic care practices (i. e. breathing, relaxation, visualization, meditation, metaphors, therapeutic touch, reflexology, aromatherapy, massage). Once I complete the program, I intend to complete a 2-year internship program at a hospital to be more comfortable around the patients. Along with support from my colleague, I hope to bring the kind of holistic care mentioned above to my patients.
When my patients leave the hospital, I will ensure my patients understand their diagnosis and they are ready to tackle their illnesses head on. Becoming a great nurse will not be an easy task, but I am willing to work through any obstacle to achieve my goal. One of those obstacles is separating work from home. I am very caring so watching all the suffering in the hospital could prevent me from enjoying my family. I have not find a way to eliminate this problem but I am hoping that while going through the program, the professors will teach me coping skills or at least lecture about them. Jean Watson’s theory emphasizes the need for the nurse to care for herself. Lately, I have tried to include time for myself on a calendar even if it’s 15 minutes; I hope I can keep up with this change.
