Introduction
Holistic Nursing &
Self-Care
1
Program Overview

The purpose of this continuing
nursing education (CNE) activity is
to introduce participants to the
fundamentals of Holistic Nursing
through exploration of origin,
principles, values, current research
and resources. These concepts are
then applied to self-care.
2
Program Objectives
 Define Holistic Nursing and its history/origin.
 Discover the benefits of Holistic Nursing.
 Summarize the principles of Holistic Nursing.
 Describe the practice of Holistic Nursing.
 Review relevant research areas in Holistic
Nursing.
 Describe Self-Care principles and the benefit to
improved patient care for nurses.
3
Reflection
Holistic Nursing:
Every Nurse’s Specialty
~Carla Mariano
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What is
Holistic
Nursing?
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Holistic Nursing
Photo by AHNA member, Cynthia Backer
“All nursing that has healing the whole
person as its goal”
(AHNA Definition of Holistic Nursing, 1998)
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Holistic
Nursing is
more than
modalities…
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Holistic
Nursing is a
way of being
It is who you are
when you are with
your clients/patients
and co-workers that
defines you as a
holistic nurse.
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Historical Context
Heal - to be or become whole

from Greek: Halos

from Anglo-Saxon: Haelan
Healing - restoring balance and
harmony, moving toward wholeness,
completion and the integration of the
totality of the person
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Historical Context



Socrates: Curing the soul; that is
the first thing
Hippocrates: Observe patients’ life
circumstances and emotional states
Nightingale: Care focusing on
unity, wellness, and the
interrelationship of human beings,
events and environment
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Historical Context



American Holistic Nurses
Association (AHNA) began in 1981
Nationally accredited by the
American Nurses Credentialing
Center (approver & provider) since
1997
Holistic Nursing received official
recognition as a Nursing Specialty
by the ANA in 2006
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Benefits of Holistic Nursing Practice



Public demanding more holistic, caring,
compassionate approach
38-64% utilizing
complementary/alternative methods
Holistic nurses in prime position to
meet need/provide leadership
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Benefits of Holistic Nursing Practice
Enhances personal & professional life
 Holistic techniques can be used for self-care and stress
management as well as patient care
 Holistic world view acknowledges and facilitates self
healing
Holistic nurses honor journey of others
 Clients/patients feel heard, acknowledged, respected,
accepted
 Opportunity to truly know, partner, be present with our
clients/patients
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Benefits of Holistic Nursing Practice
 Holistic focus allows healing on many levels
Emotional
Spiritual
Relational
Physical
Mental
 Honors and integrates wisdom and knowledge
from many sources and cultures
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Benefits of Holistic Nursing Practice
 Holistic model promotes wellness and
empowerment for giver and receiver
 Helping people in a holistic way feeds and
nourishes the nurse’s spirit too
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Principles of Holistic Nursing

Holism
acknowledges
and values that
there is unity, SELFCARE
totality, and
connectedness
of everyone and
everything.
PRACTICE
PERSON
HEALTH/
HEALING
ROLE
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Underlying Principles of the Holistic Model
Values connectedness of:
 Mind, Body, Emotion
 Spirit, Energetic
 Beliefs/Values
 Environment, Social/Cultural
 Relationships, Context
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Person
 Individual uniqueness
 Inherently good
 Can find meaning and purpose in own
life and experiences
 Has innate power and capacity for self
healing
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Health/Healing



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Health and illness - natural part of life,
learning and movement toward
change, development, and wellbeing
Human health experience - complex &
dynamic
Illness - a teacher and an opportunity
for self-awareness and growth
Symptoms - respected as messages
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Health/Healing



Health = balance, integration, harmony
and right relationship - not just absence
of disease
Emphasis:
 Health promotion, disease prevention
 Lifestyle patterns and choices
 Personal and cultural belief systems
and values
Healing can take place without cure
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Health/Healing


Empowerment - People as active
partners in the healing process taking
some control of:
 their own lives
 health and well-being
 personal choices and relationships
Treatment process - considers root of
the problem, not merely the obvious
signs and symptoms
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Roles
Nurses are Instruments of Healing
through:
warmth, compassion
authenticity, respect
trust, relationship
caring presence
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Roles
Collaborating and Partnering

With all constituencies in the health process:
person receiving care, family, community,
peers and other disciplines

Using cooperation, alliance and respect

Honoring the contributions of all
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Roles
Participating in the Change Process


Developing more caring cultures for
practice and learning
Contributing to:



improvement of communities
environment
betterment of public health
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Roles
Advocating for

Optimal health care for all people



The Ecosystem


Rights, equitable distribution and access
Awareness of needs of vulnerable
populations
Honor, protect and preserve
Nurses
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Roles
Assisting Nurses
 To nurture and heal themselves
 To strengthen and advance the
profession
 AHNA founders vision: Lifeline for
struggling nurses - Charlie McGuire
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Practice


Practice - a science and an art
Underlying elements:
 Values and ethics of holism
 Caring, moral insight, dignity,
integrity
 Competence, responsibility,
accountability and legality
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Practice

Appreciates and utilizes various
philosophies/paradigms/delivery models
of health, illness and healing

Holistic values in public policy and the
health care delivery system can
influence the health and well-being of
society and professional nursing
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Principles of Holistic Nursing
Self-Care
The practice of Holistic Nursing
requires
that nurses integrate self-reflection
and self-care into their own lives.
(further explored in
Introduction to Holistic Nursing, Part II)
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Holistic Nursing
Focuses on
 Enhancing healing, health,
wholeness, well-being of the
whole person


Across the life-span
Across the health-illness
continuum
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Holistic Nursing
Embraces
 Art of Nursing (intuition,
creativity, presence,
self/personal knowing,
reflection)

Science of Nursing (critical
thinking,
evidence/research/theory)
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Holistic Nursing
Draws on
 Nursing Knowledge
 Theories/Research
 Expertise
 Intuition
 Creativity
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Holistic Nursing
Concentrates on
 Promoting health and wellness



assisting healing
preventing/alleviating illness and
suffering
Supporting people to find

peace, comfort, harmony, balance
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Holistic Nursing
Integrates
 Holistic Modalities


Fostering body-mind-emotionspirit-social-cultural-environmentenergetic connectedness &
wellbeing
Conventional Nursing Practices
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Holistic Nursing
Attends to

Subjective experience and
meanings
Cultural Values and Beliefs

Spirituality

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Holistic Nursing
Uses
 The caring/healing relationship
 Therapeutic Partnership
Emphasizes
 Self-Reflection and Self-Care
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Who Practices Holistic Nursing?

Encompasses all of nursing practice







Acute/Ambulatory/Long term/Home health/Staff
Nurses
Administrators
School Nurses
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Private Practice Nurses
Nursing Instructors
Student Nurses
Any nurse who views the patient as a unified whole
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Holistic Nursing Takes Place Wherever
Healing Occurs ~Carla Mariano
 Acute Care—med/surg, pediatric, critical
care, obstetrics, surgical units
 Women’s health centers
 Mental health facilities
 Extended care facilities
 Home health care
 Private practitioners offices
 School health
 Occupational health
 Wellness/Alternative care centers
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Professional Organizations &
Resources
American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA)
323 N San Francisco St. Ste 201Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(800) 278-2462 ● www.ahna.org
American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation
(AHNCC) (877) 284-0998 ● www.ahncc.org
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM) ● www.nccam.nih.gov
Nursing World: Nursing News from around the
World ● www.nursingworld.org
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Journals
 Journal of Holistic Nursing (AHNA’s
journal)
 Holistic Nursing Practice
 International Journal of Human Caring
 Journal of Transcultural Nursing
 EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and
Healing
 Alternative Therapies in Health and
Medicine
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Self-Care

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
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

Concepts related to self-care
Concept of health
Concept of health promotion
Process of self-care
Self-care in the workplace
Nurse as an Instrument of Healing
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Reflection & Centering
Holistic
Nursing:
Tending to the
Sacred Flow
of Life
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Review Core Values of Holistic Nursing
PHILOSOPHY
/ THEORY/
ETHICS
Communication
/ Therapeutic
Environment/
Cultural
Diversity
Education
Research
Caring
Process
Self- Care
43
Self-Reflection and Self-Care
The practice of Holistic Nursing
requires
that nurses integrate self-reflection
and self-care into their own lives.
44
Why Use Self-Reflection?


Holistic nurses view everything as
inseparable and interrelated
What affects one aspect influences
all others


mental, emotional, physical,
environmental, social/relational
individuals, family, community,
planet
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Why Use Self-Reflection?



Leads to an appreciation of the
interconnectedness of all things
Facilitates our own well-being, which
affects the health of our clients, our
families, our practice, our environment,
etc…
Leads to self-awareness, clarity and
insights
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Why Use Self Reflection?
Holistic care-giving and service to
others requires:





Understanding of one’s own personal
journey
Periodic self-assessments
Personal development
Growth/change in one’s own well-being
Self-care and self-healing
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Benefits of
Holistic Self-Assessment

Role-modeling self-care

Living a life in balance

Pro-active stress
management
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Holistic Self-Assessments
Circle of Human Potentials
See handouts
Circle of Human Potentials. Source: Reprinted with permission from B. Dossey and L Keegan,
Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice, 2009, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA
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Self-Care Simplified
Something that you do for yourself that no
one else can do for you
Not just something you “should” do …
Something that nourishes
and refreshes you;
that feels good to your body,
mind and spirit
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Holistic Self-Care Practices
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

Self-assessment
Meditation
Yoga
Good nutrition
Energy therapies
Movement or dance
Self-Reflection/Journaling
Creative expression (art, music)
http://www.ahna.org/Membership/MemberAdvantage/Whatisselfcare/tabi
d/1185/Default.aspx
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Remember to Nourish all of You:
Body Mind Emotion Spirit
Bicycling
Sharing Circle
Reading
Journaling
Swimming
Sharing circle
Yoga
Prayer
Drumming
Webinars
Dancing
Nature
Taking classes
Counseling
Walking
Music
Tai Chi
Massage
Hiking
Gardening
Meditation
Nutrition
CDs/podcasts
Playing games
Sacred space
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More Self-Care Ideas
 Be in nature
 Cup of good tea or coffee
 Nice bath with essential
oils
 Dance and sing
 Manicure/pedicure
 Snuggle with a pet
 Buy yourself flowers or a
plant
 Do nothing!
Photo by AHNA Member, Jean Kissack
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Self-Care Ideas



Do something
you’ve always
wanted to do
Treat yourself to
something
What nourishes
your spirit/being?
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Self-Care Plan


Take a few minutes and consider a
Self-Care plan to nourish yourself in
one of the areas you just assessed.
List three self-care activities you will
do for yourself in the next week.
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Affirmations
First person
Present tense
Positive intent
Need photo here
Photo by AHNA Member, Beth Clark
I handle my life with grace and ease
My body is healthy, fit and strong
I give and receive freely
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Terri Roberts JD, RN
Executive Director
director@ahna.org
100 SE 9th Street, Suite 3A
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785.234.1712
www.ahna.org
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