Holistic nursing practice
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Holistic nursing practice · Oct 2000
ReviewAlternative and complementary therapies for labor and birth: an application of Kolcaba's theory of holistic comfort.
Although nursing has always used nonpharmacologic interventions for the relief of the discomforts of childbirth, alternative and complementary therapies are becoming more acceptable. Alternative and complementary therapies are based on a balance of body, mind, and spirit. Kolcaba's theory of holistic comfort is proposed as a framework for guiding nurses to use alternative and complementary therapies in the comfort care of laboring women.
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Prayer is an ancient healing practice not generally available in our health care system. However, the majority of Americans believe in the healing power of prayer. A recent Time/CNN poll found that 82% of Americans believe that prayer can cure serious illness, 73% believe that praying for others can cure illness, and 64% want their physicians to pray with them. Nurses should know what prayer is, should be familiar with the growing body of literature on the effectiveness of prayer, and understand potential uses of prayer as part of holistic nursing practice.
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Holistic nursing practice · Oct 1999
The grief of parents of murdered children: a suggested model for intervention.
The grief of parents who have lost children to murder is extreme, prolonged, and unique. The authors, themselves bereaved by homicide, suggest a model to facilitate understanding such grief and to guide intervention. ⋯ Each arena contains features unique to homicide survivor bereavement. These features are described for the reader.
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Holistic nursing practice · Jan 1999
Developing a shared language: interdisciplinary communication among diverse health care professionals.
Multidisciplinary teams of nurses, physicians, and other professionals may have difficulty communicating because of inconsistent theoretical underpinnings. A theoretical base that spans both clinical outcomes and professional boundaries is needed. ⋯ It includes professional, community, and institutional issues relevant to pregnant women and new mothers as infant caregivers. The article discusses how the web was used for interdisciplinary health care professional interaction and how it was used to develop a series of research protocols that will affect the care of mothers and infants in the District of Columbia.
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Holistic nursing practice · Jan 1999
Nursing and medical student teaming for service learning in partnership with the community: an emerging holistic model for interdisciplinary education and practice.
To meet the health needs of communities today, health professionals need to be trained in working with persons from various cultural backgrounds, practicing disease prevention and health promotion in community-based settings, and working in teams with other professionals. The article focuses on interdisciplinary teaming for education and practice. ⋯ Four service learning projects providing collaborative teaming opportunities as part of the Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program are described. Interdisciplinary service learning has benefits for the community, students, and faculty and will prepare nurses and physicians to have a positive impact on care through future interdisciplinary collaboration in community-based settings.