Introduction
Holism is described as the notion that an organic or integrated whole has an autonomous existence that cannot be grasped solely by a comprehension of its components. Patients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are all taken into consideration in holistic nursing (Crawford & Thornton, 2018). Florence Nightingale’s holistic approach to nursing dates back to the 1800s, when she addressed fundamental human requirements like clean air and water and added treatments like light, music, aromatherapy, touch, and movement into her care. The future of nursing relies on holistic approaches, and this is why holistic nursing is so critical. As a pioneer of holistic nursing, Florence Nightingale instilled in her students the importance of treating patients and their environments as a whole. While nursing is an important part of holistic nursing practice, it is not the only aspect of it. Nurses who practice holistic nursing must also practice it for themselves as much as for those they serve. This paper will look at holistic nursing in terms of theory, philosophy, research, and practice.
Discussion of Philosophy
Philosophy is an important part of nursing practice since it involves one’s attitudes, behaviors, dreams, hopes, and beliefs. When it comes to nursing, the philosophy of nursing is an individual’s belief system about nursing and what it means to be a nurse. In the absence of nursing philosophy, a nurse’s purpose as a nurse may wane, which might have a negative impact on the nurse’s dedication, desire, and attitude toward the profession. A person’s philosophy affects the treatment they deliver to patients and the consideration they provide to the patient as a whole.
According to Jean Watson’s idea of philosophy and caring, human beings are a valuable people in and of themselves and should be treated as such; in general, a person should be considered as a fully functioning complete self (Joseph, 2019). The application of scientific philosophy to nursing practice should elicit thought on the beliefs that nurses bring to the process of caring for the whole person. A nurse’s philosophy of nursing serves as guidance as he or she goes about his or her work. Philosophical inquiry focuses on the investigation of complex issues and the formulation of esoteric inquiries. The study of philosophy aims to provide answers to life’s most esoteric dilemmas. Nursing philosophy is a dynamic and ever-evolving concept. There is not just one right solution, and there is not just one set of beliefs. From nurse theorists to nursing students who are forming their own unique perspectives on what constitutes nursing, these nursing philosophies represent a variety of viewpoints within the nursing community.
Discussion of Theory
To help nurses in their jobs, a framework known as a nursing model (also known as nursing theory) was established. It is via these frameworks that nurses are guided in their position as a nurses, and they describe the process of nursing in relation to the nursing philosophy. In order to accomplish holistic goals, most nursing theories call on nurses to reflect on their own philosophy and analyze how their own practice compares to that of others (Crawford & Thornton, 2018). Holistic nurses, on the other hand, rely heavily on theories as a foundation for the introspective and cognitive aspects of their work.
Since its inception in 1981, Dr. Parse’s Human Becoming theory has drawn inspiration from thinkers such as Heidegger, Sarte, Merleau-Ponty, and Rogers, Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB). Among the main concepts of the theory are that human becoming is an intersubjective process of living value priorities, that human becoming is creating rhythmical patterns of relating in a mutual process within the universe, and that human becoming is transcending multidimensionality with the emerging possibilities (McEwen & Wills, 2021). As Dr. Parse’s Human Becoming theory argues, humans are entire and open beings made up of more than their biological, psychological, social, and spiritual elements. This may be used to holistic nursing practice. Healthy living is not only about being healthy all the time; it is about being healthy all the time. The way we live our day-to-day lives is what health is, according to the philosophy of human beings.
Based on their expertise or personality, the nurse can choose which theory works best for their client or which theory is the most comfortable for them. When it comes to human beings as a whole, Martha Rogers says, “Man is a coherent whole possessing integrity and exhibiting traits that are more than and different from the sum of his parts” (McEwen & Wills, 2021). As a totality, a person is an indivisible, pan-dimensional energy field that represents the whole human experience (McEwen & Wills, 2021). It further claimed that nursing is not merely about preserving and improving health and avoiding sickness, caring for the sick or disabled, but rather to help human beings attain well-being within the capabilities of each person, family, or community.
Discussion of Research
Reclaiming nursing from medical paradigms and making it a holistic science are two of the goals of nursing academics, who believe that scientific knowledge is developed via methodical investigation. Empiricism and phenomenology and other forms of qualitative research (i.e, ethnography, historical research, hermeneutics, grounded theory) are two types of scientific inquiry in the field of nursing. Empiricism aims to objectively and quantitatively measure experience, while phenomenology and other forms of qualitative research study lived experiences and the meaning of events (McEwen & Wills, 2021). Holistic nursing research is encouraged by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) to create knowledge and offer evidence-based practice necessary to change healthcare into holistic care (ANA, 2020). The notion of holism has also had a long-term impact on the study of nurse academics, who have created theories about care, healing, and the nature of the complete person (AHNA, 2020). There is little doubt that Martha Rogers laid the groundwork for future research and the creation of new methods for the holistic treatment of a person.
Discussion of Practice
Using the notion of holism to guide nursing practice is almost limitless. As part of a holistic paradigm for nursing practice, there is a focus on human values; pain and sickness are seen as a wake-up call, the patient is empowered to take control of their health. Nurses who practice holistic care work in collaboration with other specialties, demonstrate compassion as an essential element of recovery, serve as role models for a healthy lifestyle, and collaborate with their patients (Crawford & Thornton, 2018). Integrative nursing care should place an emphasis on recommending treatments that are both effective and easy for patients to adhere to (Reed, 2021). Healthy nutrition and regular exercise might be encouraged by the nurse. When it comes to making low-sodium and low-sugar meals as well as monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar on a daily basis, a nurse can greatly help.
Mental and emotional health and well-being may be promoted by nurses, who can also urge patients to include their loved ones and others in their support system when providing treatment. By encouraging the patient to ask questions such as, “What gives you hope?” and “What gives you purpose in life?” the nurse may infuse spirituality into the patient’s treatment. Knowledge of nursing and self-reflection affect how nurses treat their patients. Understanding that the attitude of the nurse has a direct impact on the quality of care delivered to the patient, it is important for nurses to become familiar with the nuances of the individual patients they care for. In order for the physical and physiological healing to take place, the nurse’s relationship with the patient has to be re-evaluated and re-established. As a result, the patient’s health will be better cared for, and the nurse’s pleasure will also rise.
Analysis of Concepts- Interrelationship of Philosophy, Theory, Research and Practice
Ideally, there should be a reciprocal and cyclical interaction between philosophy, theory, research, and practice. The foundation of theory is based on the problems posed by philosophy. Research is used to validate theories before they are implemented in practice. More questions arise when ideas are tried out and examined in the real world. This leads to an iterative cycle of theory testing and hypothesis generation. There is no need to include the notions of philosophy, theory, research, and practice in any specific order, yet they all depend on each other.
In nursing, ethics are guided by the nurse’s beliefs and attitudes, which are influenced by the nurse’s philosophy. Theory offers a foundation for nursing practice, but it is up to the nurse to apply it to guide their own practice. Nurses may utilize research to better understand the causes and effects of the topics they are studying, which in turn influences how they practice and care for their patients in the long term (AHNA, 2020). This implies that the competent nurse will apply each notion without much self-consciousness in order to provide whole and holistic care to the patient, as discussed (McMillan, Stanga & Van Sell, 2018). Nursing philosophy and research are influenced by the notion of holism, which serves as a philosophical foundation. In light of the quick and dynamic changes taking place in healthcare, the traditional nursing method is no longer adequate.
Since its inception, research into holistic nursing has increased in an effort to provide evidence-based practice in order to transition healthcare from a medical model to a patient-centered model of care. Because of the skills and expertise they have honed in their past roles, advanced nurse practitioners (APNs) tend to treat their patients holistically. This type of nurse has the training and experience necessary to provide patients with holistic care. According to AHNA (2020), holistic nurses extend and refine their theoretical foundations and philosophical outlook in order to best serve as role models for the profession’s future practitioners and students alike. This has generally boosted the process of providing care to patients, thus ensuring efficiency in caregiving.
The goal of holistic nursing is to provide care for the whole person. Holistic nurses use nursing theories to develop nursing practice and transformative leadership, which directs them to interpret, use, and document information specific to a patient’s care within a theoretical framework that fits their philosophy. In the case of a patient who comes into the hospital weeping and saying, “I can not endure this agony any longer,” a nurse who practices holism will self-reflect and meet the immediate need of the patient, which is the pain. The holistic nurse can utilize their knowledge base to plan the patient’s treatment while taking into account their ethical principle to guide their practice and care for the entire person once they have ensured the patient’s comfort and allowed for additional questioning.
Other members of the interdisciplinary team include dentists, mental health counselors and educators, social workers, couples and family therapists, and personal trainers. For this team, it is important to understand what is important to the patients and the community, as well as the best evidence-based approach to meet those requirements. As well as diabetes and hypertension self-management, fitness, nutrition, and culinary programs and support groups have been established by chronic care teams.
Conclusion
In conclusion, holistic nursing has been around for a very long time and has recently become more firmly established in practice. Nurses with bachelor’s degrees in nursing have a fundamental understanding of holism and its relevance to their profession. It is important to recognize that each patient is unique and requires a tailored treatment strategy to avoid relapses in health. Holistic nursing initiatives to create knowledge and deliver evidence-based practice needed for healthcare transformation towards holistic care are encouraged by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Nurses who are skilled, thoughtful, and principled in their profession are based on theory, informed by research, and guided by ethical values, all of which shape their work. An APN’s knowledge and high-level preparation allow them to deliver holistic care and contribute to the development of health and well-being for their patients in clinics and the communities where they practice.
References
American Holistic Nurses Association. (2020). What We Do. Web.
American Nurses Association. (2020). Martha Elizabeth Rogers (1914-1994) 1996 Inductee. Web.
Jeanne Crawford, M. A., & Lucia Thornton, R. N. (2018). Why has Holistic Nursing Taken Off in the Last Five Years? What has Changed?. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 16(5), 22.
Joseph, S. (2019). Pressure Injury Prevention Education for Nurses and Its Impact on Patient Outcomes (Doctoral dissertation, Grand Canyon University).
McMillan, E., Stanga, N., & Van Sell, S. (2018). Holism: A Concept Analysis. Web.
Reed, J. (2021). Exploring Nurse Prescribing through Practitioner Research. Nurse Prescribing, 9(5), 249-252. Web.
