Nursing diagnosis "altered energy field"

fergus51 · Jan 17, 2006

I think that's ridiculous.:DLOL!

paphgrl · Jan 17, 2006

I have to agree with you, but NANDA still stands behind it. I find this disturbing when there is emphasis on "evidenced based practice". I do see it as a threat to the legitamacy of our profession.

For this reason I will not support NANDA International.

chadash · Jan 17, 2006

In one episode, didn't the Klingons somehow alter Captain Kirk's energy field?

But then, in my humble opinion, Star Trek was FICTION.

Jolie, BSN · Jan 17, 2006

Sounds to me like a home-care patient whose power has gone out!

I agree with paphgrl. This kind of silliness harms our profession. How are we to support this with evidence-based practice?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2006

Does anyone have a link as to the definition.

I'm thinking it has to do with therapeautic touch as a nursing intervention, but I'm not sure.

I don't necessary think that integrating alternative medicine undermines the profession as there is evidence that some of them work, but that's my first gut reaction. But until I really truly understand, I'm going to withhold judgement.

Thanks to anyone who can help. When I went to school this wasn't a diagnosis.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 17, 2006

Two very different viewpoints:

http://www.phact.org/phact/nanda.htm

http://www.healingtouch.net/stand/standard.shtml

Research to investigate healing touch:

http://www.healingtouch.net/research/index.shtml

A multitude of scholarly articles, etc., concerning healing touch:

http://www.healingtouch.net/research/bibhtsep05.pdf

It must be pointed out that at least 60% of Americans use some form of alternative/ complementary medicine. Therapeutic touch is a modality that flows well with the holistic tradition of nursing.

Jolie, BSN · Jan 17, 2006

There have been studies (including a well-publicized science fair project done by a teenager) that de-bunk the notion of therapeutic touch.

This is NOT to say that patients don't benefit from the physical, hands-on care of a nurse or other provider, such as bathing, back rubs, massage, etc. The research indicated that there was no measurable "energy field", and that TT practitioners could not, when blindfolded, distinguish patients suffering from illness or injury from healthy controls. Therefore, there is no scientific basis for this type of therapy or nursing diagnosis.

The reason TT has taken off in mainstream healthcare institutions is marketing, not science. Rather than employ adequate nurses to give patients "old fashioned" attention such as bathing assistance and backrubs, it is cheaper and more fashionable to offer "complimentary" upscale services such as TT.

It is a disgrace that NANDA is legitimizing this trend.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 17, 2006

I'm somewhat "on the fence" about many of the alternative modalities. There is some good in them ... and yet ... they don't lend themselves well to scientific study.

I would prefer they not be given equal status until the science supporting them reaches a point at which most scientists support it. However, I don't think they should be totally scoffed at, either. I think such modalities belong in a sort of "middle ground" category.

As a scholar (philosopher and scientist), I maintain an open mind to all possibilities -- yet try to remain a healthy level of skepticism about all things.

llg

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jan 17, 2006

Well...I think it is an intervention for those patients in our care that have a more naturalpathic or eastern med nature. Many people believe that an altered energy field causes pain, mental health issues, anxiety, and organ probelms. Having this diagnosis does tend to lead more towards theraputic touch, massage, and perhaps their own personal physician of choice to help with interventions to best serve their personal preferred needs.

But yes, if I saw that on a chart I would be going "okay that's...ummmmm...what is it I am suppose to do???". And I have a little background in it from working with different patients that believe in this... I wouldn't be making that DX however...not my area of expertise!

I would certainly look at the patient and ask them about this type of Dx, and twice as hard at the nurse making it to see why this one was used...

BTW...scary story about this...a certain person came in to the ER one day with constipation and believed this disturbed the energy field. The home remedy...a rose stem (no leaves or bud) with thorns up the rectum! How that channels energy I have no idea...but I know it certainly channeled blood! Surgery repair on that one! Sometimes these methods are scary (this was a very very old world remedy for a family using old old world (South Asian) home remedies...OUCH!!!!!!).

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 17, 2006

I had these same links to share, too, VickyRN.:)

http://www.indstate.edu/mary/nurdx.htm

http://tech.schreiner.edu/computerlab/links/links-class-medical.htm

And, I utilize TT in my practice.:)

Still Riding · Jan 17, 2006

I've been tempted to use it on care plans in the past, but didn't know how well my instructors would liek me making a joke of the care plan. So i decided to be safe and not use it.

But i was close a few times