Nursing Global Conference

Holistic nursing is the art of care, considering the whole person—mind, body, and spirit-in healing. Holistic nursing includes more than just attending to the symptoms and aches of a patient; it's the holistic healing process that includes emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions in the care given. These guidelines will guide nurses in the application of holistic practices in professional care settings toward healing and beneficial outcomes for patients.

1. Core Principles of Holistic Nursing: Holistic nursing is defined based on the idea that health cannot be defined as the absence of disease. In other words, it is understood to be the collective union of physical, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of an individual's health. It is in this light that holistic nurses design a therapeutic relationship with patients in order to respect the values, beliefs, and preferences of patients.

2. Patient-Centered Care Holistic nursing ensures patient-centered care, a core principle of such a practice, which considers meeting tailored plans based on each patient's unique needs. Such an approach promotes participation in the healing process and allows informed decision-making by the patient. A nurse should actively listen, respect the culture of patients, and discuss meaningful health goals with the patient.

Mind-body holistic nursing involves a range of traditional practice areas including meditation, relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, guided imagery. These therapies have resulted in reduced stress levels, the control of pain levels, and have contributed to emotional and spiritual well-being. Nurses are therefore urged to perceive these therapies as adjunctive treatments that can accompany conventional medical interventions, or to be put simply, enhancement of care.

4. Spiritual Care: Complete care is impossible without spiritual care. Nurses should, therefore, be empathetic towards the spiritual needs of patients who are suffering from chronic illness or have reached the last stages of life. This may involve inviting patients to talk over their conceptions of meaning about life; allowing spiritual leaders to come to their room; or just sitting with patients in care. Any life situation involves spiritual healing.