I'm a pre-nursing student and I'm trying to figure out if nursing is right for me. I have been a massage therapist for 5 years and I love it. Unfortunately, the area I live in is saturated with therapists and it's hard to make a living at it. I also work as an elderly caregiver, working mostly with people with dementia or at hospice levels. I love helping people in any capacity and I have a passion for anything health related.
I grew up in a family that was very health conscious/holistic. We believe that vaccines and medications in general are not great and often harmful and we have no faith in the FDA. We know that the best way to be be healthy is to eat organic non-processed foods and being active.... to avoid microwaves, plastics, msg, artificial sweeteners, aluminum antiperspirants, sodium laurel sulfate, etc.. We practice Reiki and use aromatherapy or a little pot if we are in pain. I'm going into specifics to try and paint a picture instead of just saying 'I'm holistic'. I should also say I'm not an extremist with these beliefs/knowledge, but I do try to generally follow these guidelines to be healthy and proactive.
For a few years now, I have also been in the role of patient advocate for a couple of family members with their many health issues. Our journey has made my family's confidence in the Western health system plummet. My grandmother's kidney dr. told her that it was not important to drink water. Her lung dr. gave her an inhaler that is not meant for people with high blood pressure, even though she has that condition. It sent her into seizures and to the ER. We saw him at a follow up appt and he offered her another inhaler that he assured her would be okay... when we got it home, I read the pamphlet, and again he had given us one not meant for people with hight bp. Her neuro dr. put her on a medication for epilepsy... she has seizures occasionally, due to a chemical exposure, not epilepsy. The meds aged her 20 years within a week. She slept 15 hrs a day, couldn't take care of herself anymore and her hair started falling out. When we spoke to the dr., I told her we wanted to wean her off the meds. She tried to use fear to keep my grandma on them... We finally got the doc's okay after arguing and then low and behold, she got better and thankfully can take care of herself again. I could go on and on about the incompetence of messed up paper work for important blood tests for another family member and how we had to figure out the diagnoses for her ourselves, because teams of drs. did nothing.
All of this lit a fire under me. I wanted to change the system from the inside. I wanted to become a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine so that I could be a primary care provider, educate people on preventative health and help to slow down the over medicating of people. I wanted to be a DO so I would still be in the Western medicine system, but have an education that was more preventative/holistic-minded. I started on that path last year and then did the math ... I am 28 now and I would be 41 by the time I got out of residency. I decided I didn't want to spend my entire 30's broke, stressed and unable to reasonably consider starting a family. I re-evaluated and decided that becoming a nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner would get me to the same primary care role. I also like the flexibility to work 3 or 4 days a week as an RN and ultimately I would have much of the direct patient care that I enjoy.
My concern is that, as an RN, I may end up butting heads with drs. and nurses that are very 'traditional western medicine minded' in the process of trying to help people. I know that overall the system is becoming steadily more accepting of 'alternative' or 'natural' medicine, but I'm still not sure I'll fit in okay. Even though I'm not a fan of vaccines, as a nurse, I understand that it will be my job to give those to people and I am okay with that. In that role, I don't believe it is my duty to share my opinions/knowledge as to why that is not great... that is what the NPs or drs are for. When and if I become an NP in primary care, that is where it is my duty to offer up that information to educate my patients. I am not against all meds. There are definitely times where they are appropriate, but the prescribing doc should take a moment to make sure the meds don't conflict and that there isn't a simpler option available. I would however, have trouble serving the horrible hospital 'food' to sick patients. Chicken boullion with msg, sugary jello and other things with minimal nutritional value... We're trying to heal people, but aren't giving them nutritious foods to heal with.
I help my elderly folks with toileting and bathing with no problems. I love helping people feel better, and educating on health issues. I feel drawn to share the knowledge I have and want to help prevent the overwhelming errors I've seen. I'm sorry this post is sooo long, but I wanted to paint a full picture of who I am and what is motivating me.
So I guess my question is, if I go into nursing, I am going to be the odd duck out and be frustrated by everything I see? I don't want to spend my career biting my tongue. Are any of you similar to me in beliefs and how are you doing in this work environment? Are there certain areas of nursing that may be a better fit for me than others? In addition to primary care, I'm interested in L/D, urgent care, women's care, NICU, home care and hospice. I am in the Northern Colorado area and I know location can have a lot to do with the environments. Where I am it seems to be a little progressive, but not as much as a place like Boulder.
Thanks so much for your time and any advice you can offer me.
Seriously, astrology, art therapy, Gem therapy, really???
If you go to the real Holistic Nursing site to see the modalities they use, ( http://www.ahna.org/Home/ForConsumers/HolisticModalities/tabid/1921/Default.aspx ) the majority of those techniques have numerous studies that show improvement in the mind/body/sense of spiritual well being of patients. Yes, a couple of the modalities on there aren't as well proven, but if the patients enjoy them and they help them feel better, that will decrease stress levels, allowing the body to be in a better state for healing. I don't see astrology listed there, which would be the only one I would question for therapeutic purposes. I don't see gem therapy there either, which I happen to love, but I'm just a kooky rock lover. Art therapy has tons of studies showing a positive affect on the brain, nervous system, and mood.
The reason why CAM therapies are growing in use in this country is because people are largely getting frustrated with the limitations of traditional medicine and turning to something else to improve pain and overall health. If people weren't having success with any of these therapies, these therapists wouldn't have jobs. I have countless clients that come to me saying that their drs. told them 'there's nothing more we can do' or 'you will be like this forever' and after they try massage, acupuncture, reiki, yoga, etc., their pain improves and it turns out they weren't stuck like that forever. Both sides of medicine have very valid uses. People need to explore and have available what works for them.
yes, i have taken the flu vaccine every year, and i did receive both the swine flu vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine this year.
i am in my last little leg of nursing school, i have previous experience as a cna(10 years).
quite a few colleges had outbreaks of h1n1(swine flu), and while many of my fellow students contracted swine flu, i stayed oinky free many were 'scared' to take the shot, since i have asthma, i have had flu shots since i was 7.
my issue with alternative therapies is that nothing has ever worked for me, and i have had wonderful experiences with traditional western medications. my asthma is well under control, and i have zero side effects. i am bi polar 2. both of my medications enable me to live a normal, productive life, and i have zero side effects.
alternative therapies can have side effects, herbs, etc can cause allergic reactions or other side effects.... western meds can have side effects too.
finding the most effective treatment is key, imho. for me the most effective treatments are western medicine.
unfortunately, "quacks" in all fields continue to hold jobs and make money even if their treatments do not work. the patient or person may be told it will take time, and then when the treatment does not work they are left to find something else.
The fact that you think that vaccines are "harmful", but lighting some tetrahydrocannabinol containing weed on fire and inhaling the smoke is "holistic" could very likely be the source of the potential head butting you fear.
Whether you label it Western, Holistic, Alternative, Complimentary, or whatever - Nursing practice is evidence based. The tone and content of your post indicates you are unconcerned with available evidence.
Good luck in whatever direction you choose.
Okay... now I am going to comment!
You nailed it with this statement. No offense to the OP... but this is why I am turned off to the whole "holistic medicine" thing. Don't get me wrong, I get it. When I had kidney stones, I basically cured myself with lemon juice, hot water and olive oil and all my Dr. did for me was give me some vicoden (sp) and say "good luck" but the lemon juice completely got rid of my stone. So many holistic people come off as being just as arrogant as doctors (not that the OP is :) when in reality, I believe that both western medicine and wholistic medicine have a lot to offer.
Now, on to the pot thing. Does it have medicinal value? Absolutely. Is it completely harmless? Absolutely not! I hate when people (no offense OP, hehe) use the whole "it's natural" argument to make it seem okay. Opium is natural but it is not safe for someone to use all the time and neither is pot plan and simple. OP, I used to smoke pot... did for five years and I can tell you that it is a very addictive substance. Maybe not physically but mentally and that is almost just as dangeorus. If your family needs pot to function then that is a dependence on a drug... that is not good patient care... thats just addiction. I see a lot of people basically pick a problem with themselves and self-prescribe themselves pot and they think it's alright because they tell themselves it doesn't have any effects on their lifes. It does.
Having said all that... Western medicine HAS been making efforts to utilize this in it's treatment. Many states, including michigan where I live, have legalized pot and hospitals use a LEGAL form of THC called Marinol (and it has a ton of side effects just like any other drug), so why do people still use the illegal for that supports the prison industry complex and puts themselves in legal danger?
Furthermore to the OP, you may want to SERIOUSLY reconsider using any types of illegal drugs at all because if you are ever caught, most nursing schools will not accept you with a drug offense on your record. Also you will be ineligable for financial aid. So in a very real sense... pot really is dangerous for your future. Just looking out for ya because I've been there and decided to quit before I even started nursing school.... that was after two years of struggling to quit using a non-addictive and completely harmless, natural plant. It was very hard for me.
OP, I in the end you will do fine as long as you realize the value in what both you and western medicine can offer. Try to be open to western practices but steer the patient in the safest possible care that is supported by EVIDENCED BASED PRACTICE (which is put in place to protect both you and the patient). Also, remember that the treatment that is best for you is not always best for the patient :)
Now, on to the pot thing. Does it have medicinal value? Absolutely. Is it completely harmless? Absolutely not! I hate when people (no offense OP, hehe) use the whole "it's natural" argument to make it seem okay. Opium is natural but it is not safe for someone to use all the time and neither is pot plan and simple. OP, I used to smoke pot... did for five years and I can tell you that it is a very addictive substance. Maybe not physically but mentally and that is almost just as dangeorus. If your family needs pot to function then that is a dependence on a drug... that is not good patient care... thats just addiction. I see a lot of people basically pick a problem with themselves and self-prescribe themselves pot and they think it's alright because they tell themselves it doesn't have any effects on their lifes. It does.
Furthermore, you may want to SERIOUSLY reconsider using any types of drugs at all because if you are ever caught, you will not even be given a chance to think about nursing because you won't be able to get into most schools with a drug offense on your record.
I definitely agree that some people can become heavily addicted to pot just as others can be heavily addicted to overeating. Anything, good or bad, that you rely on as a crutch, use to fill a void, or to hide from the world isn't helpful. One of my family member's that uses, takes one tiny puff on nights that she can't get to sleep. She has tried sleep aids before with side effects. If she can't sleep, then her health issues act up, making her miserable through out the day. She could go without it, but she prefers to have a decent night's sleep to be a productive person for work the next day. Yes that is a form of dependence, but so is the coffee that most people 'need' to function. Everyone has their vices and hers has very minimal side effects.
Now my other family member, I will fight anyone who condemns her for using. (I'm not sure what that means, but I'm super protective of her and her situation :redbeathe ) She has been in pain for most of her life. She complained to drs. for many years of abdominal pain. They said it was all in her head. Years later she finally got someone to listen to her and do a scan. She was riddled with tumors, fibroids, and adhesions. They basically had to gut her to get everything out, which created more adhesions. After a while, daily vomiting and diarrhea began. Then an unbearable pain in her esophagus and gall bladder area. Gall bladder tests were inconclusive and the surgeon didn't want to operate, nor did she. The drs. couldn't find anything wrong with her and the pain killers and nausea meds made her feel worse. We were the ones that ended up diagnosing her (which tests confirmed) that she was gluten intolerant and had parasites and candida. She is working to fix these issues, but there are still many other things that are going on with her body that cause her constant pain, in which she scarcely wants to carry on. She also happens to work for an extremely stressful, mismanaged institution which additionally aggravates her health. She is currently the sole provider in her house because of the current economy and if she didn't have her pot, which she has a state medicinal card for, she would have to go on disability, which they would not be able to live on.
I am well aware that it would not be good to got caught smoking. If someone really wants to bust me for the truly minuscule amount that I have, well then god bless 'em. If/when I go into nursing school and beyond, I will not use that anymore. I am not remotely dependent on it and I use it as needed, on rare occasions. I'm a responsible adult and I believe it's my right... whether my country agrees with that is another matter.
That is good if your family member is finding relief through that but I suppose it is still a dependence albeit no different the insulin for a diabetic. You would just need to know that you couldn't suggest that someone else use it if it isn't based in evidence or her doctor ordered it. I don't know if you implied that though. As a nurse, you have to question the doctors practices sometimes but have to be very careful in what you suggest to the patient. Nursing actually is centered around wholistic and it's actually the basis of my nursing schools program but it means a persons true health consists of their mental, spiritual, emotional, sociocultural and physical state. As a nurse you have to be respectful of all.
Alot of your values work very well for you and you should surely share them with others who want that knowledge but in the hospital we always have to be careful about what we suggest to the patient. For instance, if someone reccomended yoga or Reiki to me, I would be politely offended by that because that stuff is actually completely against my spiritual beliefs... so we always have to be careful. Again, I am not saying you implied this but I'm just tossing out what I've learned so far in nursing school
Maybe nursing isn't for you but if you went through school and I think that you ideals could be a great benifit to those who need it but you just need to remember that everyone is different and your standard of care must adapt to what the patient wants and not what we feel is best. If you want to do nursing, go for it but just know that you are going to have to do things a certain way until you get out on your own.
With the pot thing. I do think it's stupid that peoples whole educational lives could be ruined for one simple drug offense but that is how it is these days. I would really reccomend completely stopping if you are able to while you are in school- it's just not worth the risk. I've been clean for 3.5 years and I loooooooove it! My mind is so clear all the time and I am more motivated and focused... I personally would never want to go back. For me personally, pot was awful, lol... it made me paranoid and weirded out all the time and I don't know how I did it so often for so long. Some people like it but I always hated it even when I did it
my issue with alternative therapies is that nothing has ever worked for me, and i have had wonderful experiences with traditional western medications. my asthma is well under control, and i have zero side effects. i am bi polar 2. both of my medications enable me to live a normal, productive life, and i have zero side effects.
alternative therapies can have side effects, herbs, etc can cause allergic reactions or other side effects.... western meds can have side effects too.
finding the most effective treatment is key, imho. for me the most effective treatments are western medicine.
unfortunately, "quacks" in all fields continue to hold jobs and make money even if their treatments do not work. the patient or person may be told it will take time, and then when the treatment does not work they are left to find something else.
i agree with many of your points and i think it's wonderful that you have found what works for you, regardless of which 'side' it comes from. i think i have stated several times in this thread that i am not completely against meds and i do think they can serve well when needed and prescribed responsibly.
i communicate with my massage clients that while i might be recommending an acupuncturist or naturopath for a condition they have, some people have tremendous success with those treatments and some people have no improvements. every body and every condition is unique and you need to find what works for you.
definitely, herbs can have many, many side effects. they are essentially 'nature's medicine' and if used improperly or not manufactured safely, they can very detrimental. there are definitely quacks on both sides and while i agree that many can perpetuate their business for a while claiming 'you just have to keep trying to see results', eventually, most of those people go out of business. holistic practices are often maintained by positive referrals within the community... there are always exceptions. i honestly see more traditional drs. doing truly dangerous things with no repercussions though. i work with a medical advocate who helps patients who are at their wits end with their health issues and the medical system. he looks at the meds they are on and researches their conditions. if drs. would take two minutes to read the pill pamphlets, they would see that they are often prescribing meds that aren't supposed to be taken together, with detrimental effects to the patients. once this advocate helps them wean off non-essential or harmful meds and helps them get on a nutritous diet, 'magically' their health improves.
my biggest focus is to make sure that people are hydrating well with water, not consuming tons of soda or coffee, eating a nutritious diet with lots of colorful veggies and fruits & minimal junk, and that they are getting some form of physical activity. it's amazing how well health improves when you give the body that basic foundation to self-heal.
as a side note (not that this applies to you) ... the advocate i mentioned had a frustrated parent of a bi-polar child come to him for help. he asked what the child's diet was like and saw that he was eating a ton of sugar and not much food with nutritional value. he gave the parents a general outline of what to feed the child, cutting out the sugar and junk, and feeding him nutritional foods... the child's moods leveled out and he is no longer considered bi-polar. again, this approach will not fix everyone, but it's a great place to start to give the body a fighting chance to self-regulate. the majority of western drs. don't look to see if this important foundation is there and rather choose to cover up the symptoms with meds. that's like having a car's check engine light come on and just putting a piece of tape over it to ignore it.
That is good if your family member is finding relief through that but I suppose it is still a dependence albeit no different the insulin for a diabetic. You would just need to know that you couldn't suggest that someone else use it if it isn't based in evidence or her doctor ordered it. I don't know if you implied that though. As a nurse, you have to question the doctors practices sometimes but have to be very careful in what you suggest to the patient.
For instance, if someone reccomended yoga or Reiki to me, I would be politely offended by that because that stuff is actually completely against my spiritual beliefs... so we always have to be careful. Again, I am not saying you implied this but I'm just tossing out what I've learned so far in nursing school
I'm a little confused on not being able to suggest something unless it is evidence based. Medicinal marijuana is evidence based... states would not be allowing it if it wasn't. So does that mean you don't believe it is evidence based or that the person would specifically have to have cancer (something that allows for the use of pot) for me to suggest it? Just curious :)
I am very interested in learning specifically what you can and can't say as a nurse. It seems like the specifics of that are only to be found in a nursing program though and I hope and imagine those lines are spelled out clearly there. If I am clearly told, that as a nurse, you can say this but not this, I am happy to abide by that.
I think that's interesting that you would be offended at a suggestion of yoga... I think of it as a physical/mental practice, not a spiritual, un-godly one. Many, many yoga tapes aren't remotely spiritual or only vaguely so... and some have a spiritual bent too. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between them if you read the box or some amazon reviews. I think of it in the same vein as pilates and highly recommend them both. I was raised christian, so I can understand people thinking that reiki is evil or witchy, I guess. I do suggest it to my clients with knee issues because I have amazing results with that. I am in a very christian area and if people want to be offended by the suggestion, so be it. I'm offering the best suggestions that will work as a massage therapist. And in that role, I feel it's my responsibility to offer what I know will likely help someone feel better. As a nurse, I understand that's a whole 'nother ball of wax!
I'm a little confused on not being able to suggest something unless it is evidence based. Medicinal marijuana is evidence based... states would not be allowing it if it wasn't. So does that mean you don't believe it is evidence based or that the person would specifically have to have cancer (something that allows for the use of pot) for me to suggest it? Just curious :)
I am very interested in learning specifically what you can and can't say as a nurse. It seems like the specifics of that are only to be found in a nursing program though and I hope and imagine those lines are spelled out clearly there. If I am clearly told, that as a nurse, you can say this but not this, I am happy to abide by that.
I think that's interesting that you would be offended at a suggestion of yoga... I think of it as a physical/mental practice, not a spiritual, un-godly one. Many, many yoga tapes aren't remotely spiritual or only vaguely so... and some have a spiritual bent too. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between them if you read the box or some amazon reviews. I think of it in the same vein as pilates and highly recommend them both. I was raised christian, so I can understand people thinking that reiki is evil or witchy, I guess. I do suggest it to my clients with knee issues because I have amazing results with that. I am in a very christian area and if people want to be offended by the suggestion, so be it. I'm offering the best suggestions that will work as a massage therapist. And in that role, I feel it's my responsibility to offer what I know will likely help someone feel better. As a nurse, I understand that's a whole 'nother ball of wax!
I gots ta study so sorry if this if brief
In nursing, when you are planning your care you use NIC (nursing interventions) to implement your action of care. All of these NICS are basically proven by nursing organizations to be effective and, most importantly, safe by a board of nurses. So I don't believe you can really waver very far from them especially if you are in a traditional hospital setting. Thats not to say you can't use they in your practice but I am pretty sure you would have to be in a proper setting... maybe a holistic clinic for lack of a better term. Because you have to remember the legalities of nursing... they scare us with this a lot in school, lol. As a nurse there are certain things you are expected to perform on a patient and if you deviate from the evidence based norms and, God forbid, something bad happens to the patient you will have to stand by your practice and if it is not evidence based they you may not be able to defend your practice. So evidence based practice is kinda set up to cover both you and the patients well being. It's all really basic stuff, like ambulating the patient, monitoring fluids, ect.
Well, I'm pretty sure yoga and reki actually are spiritual practices. I am a Christian but don't get me wrong, I have TONS of respect for eastern religions and I even know enough about paganism and wicca to actually defend them when people try to make them out to be evil. Having said that, you can still love and respect someone but also object to their practices and choose to abstain. Yoga means "to yoke with" or to "connect with" and I am know it is used in hinduism often which has millions of different gods from my understanding and yoking is often related to coming into a relationship with a god of some form so how does one know what spiritual forces they are being yoked with? That is the spiritual danger from my view point. I mean, I don't deny that yoga is a fine practice and God never said "Thou Shalt not have toned muscles" but he did tell his people to remain seperate from other spiritual practices that he did not implement. Because ultimately, we are mearly humans and we have no idea what spiritual forces we are connecting with out there and if God told us not to do something, then it really was in love and an concern for our best interest. Hope that makes sense.
(UPDATE: after I wrote this, I did just a tiny more research into yoga and quickly found pictures of all sorts of pagan gods in the yoga positioning. Most notably the goddess Shiva and Baphomet (which is the horned headed god and commonly used as a symbol of satan in most cults... just sayin'). It's actually intresing because there actually is a painting of George Washington in the exact same Bephomet pose which kinda shows how anti christian our nations founders really were. Anyways, I just wanted to point that out as a reason why many Christian would object to yoga because if they see it being demonstrated by pagan gods and goddess' they would rightly be a little worrisome of the practice)
Now how this reflects into your nursing practice is that you may not want to suggest this to every patient because, even though you mean well, whats to say if that practice won't cause a riff between them and their god which will cause spiritual distress (a basic term in nursing school). Some Christians may be open to that, some will be against it and some may go along with it even though it is not good for them. As a nurse, when you have a new patient you will assess them througly and ask them about there spiritual practices and if they are already into yoga then you already have a knowledge which is awesome.
So basically, as nurses we need to be spiritual supports yet also spirutually neutral to provide the best patient care
I definitely appreciate hearing other views and opinions so that I can work to be respectful and thoughtful of others' comfort and spirituality. I'm jealous that as a nurse you are able to ask about people's beliefs so that you know what is appropriate to say. As a massage therapist, it's not professional for me to ask where people are at spiritually and so I have to walk a mine field trying to convey what I'm saying in a way that would be okay to a christian as well as to a more science-minded person.
How about testing the waters for L & D and becoming a certified doula? THAT sounds right up your alley in a lot of ways.
It worries me when I become an NP that I'll have to follow the CDC guidelines for vaccines for babies (which I don't agree with - I'm much more in alignment with WHO on that subject). And sometimes I find myself doing overly aggressive care for someone who in reality should be allowed to die peacefully (in my opinion) because the family says otherwise.
My point is ALL of us - everyone on this board - has had to do things and carry out orders that may have gone against what they themselves either believe personally or think is the wrong decision in a given situation. We swallow it and go on.
I've met - and went to school with - wonderful women who are now RNs who agree with you on many levels. You can get certifications now in alternative medicine and you'd be a great resource to many people - but you have to be sure your personal opinions don't overshadow what's actually good medicine.
Look into the doula thing. I think you'd really like it.
many were 'scared' to take the shot, since i have asthma, i have had flu shots since i was 7.
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jkmk
45 Posts
If you go to the real Holistic Nursing site to see the modalities they use, ( http://www.ahna.org/Home/ForConsumers/HolisticModalities/tabid/1921/Default.aspx ) the majority of those techniques have numerous studies that show improvement in the mind/body/sense of spiritual well being of patients. Yes, a couple of the modalities on there aren't as well proven, but if the patients enjoy them and they help them feel better, that will decrease stress levels, allowing the body to be in a better state for healing. I don't see astrology listed there, which would be the only one I would question for therapeutic purposes. I don't see gem therapy there either, which I happen to love, but I'm just a kooky rock lover. Art therapy has tons of studies showing a positive affect on the brain, nervous system, and mood.
The reason why CAM therapies are growing in use in this country is because people are largely getting frustrated with the limitations of traditional medicine and turning to something else to improve pain and overall health. If people weren't having success with any of these therapies, these therapists wouldn't have jobs. I have countless clients that come to me saying that their drs. told them 'there's nothing more we can do' or 'you will be like this forever' and after they try massage, acupuncture, reiki, yoga, etc., their pain improves and it turns out they weren't stuck like that forever. Both sides of medicine have very valid uses. People need to explore and have available what works for them.