healthcare values

[brown rice]

"Naturopathic medicine is more than a system of health care; it is a way of life. It is a distinct system of medicine that stresses health maintenance, disease prevention, patient education, and patient responsibilities in contrast to treatment of disease.

Unlike most other health care systems, naturopathic medicine is not identified with any particular therapy, but with a philosophy of life, health and disease. Fundamental to the practice of naturopathic medicine is a profound belief in the ability of the body to heal itself given the proper opportunity in accord with the laws of nature."

I was originally wanting to become an N.D., but I decieded to become a nurse instead because I wanted to work with lower in-come families and I felt N.D. care is mainly limited to those who can afford it. But I am thinking that I can incorperate some of the values of alternative medicine into my practice. One main factor about Nat. med. that I find appealing is the patients active role in their own recovery versus allopathic medicine where the patient relies mainly on their doctors advise. N.D.'s hand over some of the power by educating their patients, their medicine is based on improving life style habits, starting at the root of the problem. I would love to hear people's opinions on these issues.

I recently read an article by nurse Barbara Dossey- she states,

"Holistic Nursing is not a specialty in nursing it is the essence of nursing" I understand that the nurses job is not comparable to the job of a doctor. But do you think holisitic nursing is some how related to the values of the N.D.? What is your definition of holistic nursing?