Holistic Nurse Support

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Specializes in Neurovascular, Ortho, Community Health.

I generally love the allnurses.com boards, but I have to say, as a nurse who passionately believes in the holistic nursing movement, it is so disheartening to come on this board. As holistic nurses, we have to frequently hide our stances on things because they may rub allopathic proponents the wrong way or bring down the wrath of the herd. We face ridicule and patronization by our peers on a regular basis once our positions are known on topics like vaccines, GMOs, the efficacy of natural substances and interventions such as accupuncture, massage, etc.

Because of the unique nature of holistic nursing, the ADVERSITY the field faces in going "against the grain," the need for further education on behalf of the entire medical community, and especially the lack of support from within the community.....it would be NICE to be able to come on the Allnurses.com Holistic Nursing board and be able to positively interact with like minded individuals instead of having to come on here and battle the same snide, smug, patronizing peers that we deal with on a regular basis.

Soooooooo, with that said, where are all the non-lurking, REAL holistic nurses? What is your specialty? What do you do in your community to bring holism into your practice?

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

Holistic does not = anti science. I consider myself a holistic practitioner, because I address health in the context of a person's overall lifestyle. I don't think it is ethical to recommend or provide interventions that are based on pseudoscience and/or are ineffective. Adults are free to take whatever snake oil they want (as long as they get their kids needed medical care, and as a holistic nurse invested in primary prevention, I am very pro - vaccine), but health care providers have a duty to use the best available scientific data to advise and treat our patients.

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.
I generally love the allnurses.com boards, but I have to say, as a nurse who passionately believes in the holistic nursing movement, it is so disheartening to come on this board. As holistic nurses, we have to frequently hide our stances on things because they may rub allopathic proponents the wrong way or bring down the wrath of the herd. We face ridicule and patronization by our peers on a regular basis once our positions are known on topics like vaccines, GMOs, the efficacy of natural substances and interventions such as accupuncture, massage, etc.

Because of the unique nature of holistic nursing, the ADVERSITY the field faces in going "against the grain," the need for further education on behalf of the entire medical community, and especially the lack of support from within the community.....it would be NICE to be able to come on the Allnurses.com Holistic Nursing board and be able to positively interact with like minded individuals instead of having to come on here and battle the same snide, smug, patronizing peers that we deal with on a regular basis.

Soooooooo, with that said, where are all the non-lurking, REAL holistic nurses? What is your specialty? What do you do in your community to bring holism into your practice?

No. The ridicule you speak of is actually a demand for using sound scientific sources and evidence based practice.

How can you be a nurse and ignore evidence?

What is the "unique nature of holistic nursing?" One more time, holistic does NOT mean anti-science, anti-pharmaceutical, etc.

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

Also, here is the definition of holistic nursing from the 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 one of the first holistic nurses.

Holistic nursing is defined as all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal” (American Holistic Nurses' Association, 1998, Description of Holistic Nursing). Holistic nursing is a specialty practice that draws on nursing knowledge, theories, expertise and intuition to guide nurses in becoming therapeutic partners with people in their care. This practice recognizes the totality of the human being - the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, social/cultural, relationship, context, and environment.

The holistic nurse is an instrument of healing and a facilitator in the healing process. Holistic nurses honor each individual's subjective experience about health, health beliefs, and values.

Holistic nurses may integrate complementary/alternative modalities (CAM) into clinical practice to treat people's physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs. Doing so does not negate the validity of conventional medical therapies, but serves to complement, broaden, and enrich the scope of nursing practice and to help individuals access their greatest healing potential.

The practice of holistic nursing requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their lives. This may lead the nurse to greater awareness of the interconnectedness with self, others, nature, and spirit. This awareness may further enhance the nurses understanding of all individuals and their relationships to the human and global community, and permits nurses to use this awareness to facilitate the healing process.

Holistic nursing is not necessarily something that you do: it is an attitude, a philosophy, and a way of being.

Also, from the FAQs section of their website:

What is a Holistic Nurse?

A holistic nurse is a legally licensed nurse who takes a holistic (mind-body-spirit-emotion) approach to the practice of traditional nursing. Holistic nursing is based on a body of knowledge, evidence-based research, sophisticated skill sets, defined standards of practice, and a philosophy of living and being that is grounded in caring, relationship, and interconnectedness.

I've searched high and low on their site for a definition that includes anti-vax, anti-GMO, etc and funny, it's just not there

I always wonder how those who fought to have it become a recognized and respected nursing specialty would feel about you defining REAL holistic nurses as those who embrace practices that are NOT evidence based

Welcome to AHNA: FAQs

Welcome to AHNA: What is Holistic Nursing?

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Still working towards a degree in Healthcare Management.

Holistic Nursing will be my next degree. I plan to work as

a holistic mental health nurse...a little bit of holistic approach

is needed for me to be a great nurse.

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