American Holistic Nurses
Association
What is Holistic Nursing?
Florence Nightingale,
who believed in care that focused on unity, wellness, and the interrelationship
of human beings and their environment, is considered to be the “founder” of
holistic nursing.
• Is defined as “all nursing that has healing the whole person
as its goal,” (AHNA 1998) and integrates complementary and alternative
approaches (CAM) into clinical practice
• Is recognized by the American Nurses Association as an “official
nursing specialty,” with its own defined scope and standards of practice
• Is a legally licensed nurse who takes a mind-body-spirit-emotion
approach to the practice of nursing
• Serves as a bridge between conventional healing and complementary
and alternative healing practices, and is trained in both healthcare models
• Works in a variety of settings – from hospitals to universities
to private practice
• Can specialize in one or more modalities (or methods of healing),
such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or energetic healing
Complementary or traditional medicine…
• Refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating
plant, animal and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques
and exercises. These practices can be applied singularly or in combination
to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being. In industrialized
countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed “Complementary” or “Alternative” (CAM).
(World Health Organization)
• Is utilized by 65 to 80 percent of the world’s population,
and approximately 42 percent of all Americans (JAMA)
• Is being studied by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM), the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research
on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Visit http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/
for more information
Holism…
• In health care is the belief that in the treatment of medical conditions,
all of one’s physical, mental, emotional and social conditions – not
just physical symptoms – should be taken into account
