Holistic Care in Advanced Practice Nursing

Holistic nursing is an intricate, comprehensive nursing practice that focuses on all the different aspects of care services for a patient as a whole person. This type of holistic nursing care has often been referred to as the heart of the science of nursing (Jasemi, 2017 et al., p. 71). According to Jasemi et al., (2017), holistic nursing care is caring for a patients whole person and body, meaning caring for their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs (p. 71). Holistic nursing connects with a patient on a deeper level by providing services to help heal the individual collectively instead of just focusing solely on treating the patient’s disease. This type of caring does not simply include traditional treatments but can focus on alternative treatments, including homeopathic regimes and psychosocial and emotional wellness (Jasemi et al., 2017). 

            In the case study, there is a patient who is a new mother and openly expressing her sadness about wishing her deceased mother could experience this pregnancy with her.  As this patient’s APRN, there are many different ways where a holistic caring approach, in combination with Jean Watsons 10 Caritas Processes, could assist this patient in her time of need and sadness. First, I would make sure that my patient felt that I was authentically present in the moment. This would include me making gentle touch, speaking calmly with the patient, and remaining focused on the patients moment of concern (Tonin et al., 2017). I would make sure that I present myself as genuinely engaged in the conversation with her by turning my body language towards the patient, sitting down with the next to her, making eye contact with her, and offering my genuine concern and guidance (Tonin et al., 2017).  I would encourage the patient to tell me about her mother and encourage her to express her feelings and concerns about her pregnancy (Tonin et al., 2017).  After the patient expresses her doubts and fears, I would take the opportunity to educate and validate her by reassuring her that I would be a part of her team in making sure she felt supported and prepared with regards to this pregnancy and that she was not alone (Tonin et al., 2017).  I would make sure that the patient felt that I was actively listening to her and offer my own life experiences of my own loss when appropriate to do so during the conversation so that she felt a deeper connection with me since we have experienced the same kind of loss together (Tonin et al., 2017). 

As APRNs, it is important that when providing holistic care, we must build genuine, trusting relationships with our patients, which will help lead them to feel supported and secure with the care they are receiving (Eriksson et al., 2018). In turn, by engaging in holistic nursing therapies and building trusting relationships, our patients will feel a sense of renewal, self-confidence, and overall satisfaction with their care being provided (Eriksson et al., 2018). When a patient is confiding in us with regards to other aspects of their health, such as their mental health like in the study above, it is essential that we as their providers embrace that patient in that crucial moment and focus on providing holistic nursing to ensure the wellbeing of our patients mind, body and spirit to ultimately help them achieve an overall a healthier outcome. 

References

Eriksson, I., Lindblad, M., Mller, U., & Gillsj, C. (2018). Holistic health care: Patients’   

experiences of health care provided by an advanced practice nurse. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 24(1), 1-7. 

Jasemi, M., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., & Keogh, B. (2017). A concept analysis of holistic 

care by hybrid model. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 23(1), 71-80. 

Tonin, L., do Nascimento, J. D., Ribeiro Lacerda, M., Favero, L., Meireles Gomes, I., & Martinez

     Denipote, A. G. (2017). Guide to deliver the elements of the clinical caritas process. Anna Nery School Journal of Nursing / Escola Anna Nery Revista De    

       Enfermagem, 21(4), 1-7.