ABSTRACT
As instruments of healing, nurses commonly provide therapeutic counseling, but often do not heed their own advice for self-care. To give to others, nurses need to nourish all aspects of self. The self extends far beyond the needs of the physical body. Therefore, giving of the self requires self-nurturance of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. This article describes how to nurture and care for the self.
Subject(s)
Holistic Nursing/methods , Self Care , Emotions , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , ReligionABSTRACT
In our increasingly hurried and high-tech society, patients and families hope that those who care for them are interested in the depth and uniqueness of their lives. Viewing persons as stories enables the understanding that events and experiences in life occur within a unique context for each individual. This article considers the healing potential of story within the healthcare milieu. Story involves an interpretation of events and experiences, and may communicate more truth about the patient than extracted data from traditional history taking. Viewing persons as ongoing and unfolding stories provides a perspective from which healthcare providers intentionally seek and listen for story. This article presents examples of stories encountered in research and clinical practice, the value of story and metaphor in the clinical setting, ways of attending to one's own story, and ways of encouraging and hearing the stories of others.
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies , Medical Records , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , ResearchABSTRACT
This article describes processes for incorporating spirituality into clinical nursing practice. Spirituality is viewed as a unifying force manifested in the Self, which is expressed and experienced in the context of caring connections with oneself, others, nature, and God/life force. Spirituality relates to an inner knowing and source of strength reflected in one's being, one's knowing, and one's doing. The nurse's intentional, caring presence with clients makes possible the speaking and hearing of spiritual concerns. Such concerns are revealed in the context of one's life story. Nurturing the nurse's own spirit is essential for responding to the spirit in any interaction. Nurses frequently deal with issues of spirituality but may not label them as such. This article suggests processes through which nurses may more clearly identify spiritual issues. Spirit is understood to be both the source of and a manifestation of one's spirituality. By reawakening spirit in clinical practice, nurses will be more effective providers of holistic nursing care.
Subject(s)
Holistic Health , Nurse-Patient Relations , Nursing Care/psychology , Religion and Psychology , HumansABSTRACT
Sixteen patients with the occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) underwent extra-intracranial bypass surgery. All patients had stroke in evolution or completed stroke with mild or moderate (n = 9) or severe (n = 7) neurological deficits. In each case, the clinical course, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and angiographic (AG) findings were evaluated. Patients were followed up from 9 months to 2.5 years postoperatively. MRI was much more sensitive than CT for appreciating the ischaemic tissue. The infarct volume determined by MRI had greater extent than previously detected by CT. If the difference of the infarct volume, detected by MRI and CT was more than 30% the patients appeared to have benefited from bypass surgery as demonstrated clinically as well as with postoperative MRI and AG studies. Patients with lesser difference showed insignificant or no postoperative improvement.
Subject(s)
Carotid Stenosis/surgery , Cerebral Revascularization , Cerebrovascular Disorders/surgery , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Adult , Carotid Artery, Internal , Carotid Stenosis/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Stenosis/pathology , Cerebrovascular Disorders/diagnostic imaging , Cerebrovascular Disorders/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Practitioners of holistic nursing seek to be part of an environment that is healing, recognizing that healing occurs on many levels. Suffering and pain are viewed as part of larger life experience and may be sources of growth and transformation. Understanding that spirituality has to do with all of life and is expressed in a variety of ways, the practitioner of holistic nursing is open to the spirituality of self and others, as manifested in the ordinary as well as the dramatic, and in gentle ways encourages its experience and expression.
Subject(s)
Holistic Health , Mental Processes , Nursing Care , Humans , MysticismABSTRACT
Nursing faculty role is the synthesis of theory, education, practice, and research within a school of nursing environment. This model of nursing faculty role presents a synthesis and implementation of professional nurse role that nursing faculty might use to systematically meet the goals of developing nursing theory based on clinical practice, redefining and evaluating this theory through research, and educating students.
