What is Holistic Nursing?
Holistic nurses, who commonly help treat patients with alternative medicine, treat all aspects of a person including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, and environment. A holistic nursing career involves clinical practice to fulfill physiological, psychological, and spiritual healing to the patient. It also includes conventional therapies. Holistic medicine is not always a replacement for traditional medicine, but in fact, it is often a complement to it. According to the American Holistic Nurses Association, one of the most famous nurses of all time, Florence Nightingale, is considered to be one of the first holistic nurses.
What Is The Work Environment and Daily Routines of a Holistic Nurse?
Holistic nurses often work in the offices of doctors and other professionals who perform alternative medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy, acupressure, and herbalism. According to the AHNA, holistic nurses work alongside other holistic professionals to ‘integrate complementary/alternative modalities (CAM) into clinical practice to treat people’s physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs’.
Some of the duties and responsibilities of a holistic nurse may include:
- Providing support through proven theories and authenticated research work. The nurse should follow predefined guidelines and standards to provide healing through physical touch, care, and connectivity of body, spirit, and mind.
- Educating the patient about self-awareness, care, and responsibilities.
- Providing nutrition and body cleansing in which the patient is given macrobiotic diet or alternative food where water therapy is combined with the diet. The patient will have to restrict regular diet and depend on certain foods to flush toxins out of the body, and increase energy levels.
- Using therapies such as biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, and aromatherapy to provide healthcare to heal all aspects of mind, body, and spirit for the complete wellness to the patient.
- Performing colonic hydrotherapy, in which the toxin deposited in the colon is flushed out of the body through water injections.
What Education Programs Are Offered For Holistic Nursing?
To become certified as a holistic nurse by the American Holistic Nurses Crediting Corporation, an individual must:
- Be an unrestricted and licensed RN
- Have graduated from an accredited nursing program
- Have active practice as a Holistic Nurse for a minimum of one (1) year full-time or 2,000 hours within the last five (5) years part-time
- Completion of a minimum of 48 contact hours of continuing education in Holistic Nursing within a two (2) year period preceding application
What Is The Job Outlook and Salary For A Holistic Nurse?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the job outlook for registered nurses is positive, with 7% expected job growth between 2019 and 2029. The use of complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise, and this will likely lead to an increase in the demand for holistic nurses.
Median starting salary of entry-level holistic nurses is $53,736, while more experienced nurses with this specialty earn about $72,001. However, a nurse’s salary varies depending on the job location, experience, education, employer, and other included benefits.
