Nurses hold a significant role in leading the way towards integration of holistic healthcare practices among patients and other healthcare disciplines. In having 24 hour accountability and prolonged contact with patients and their families, nurses are in a unique position in witnessing and alleviating the impact of treatments and illnesses and in seeing their effect on individuals (Bridges et al., 2012). This distinctive position, places nurses as key players in unification of viewpoints between patients, families, and other clinicians (Bridges et al., 2012).
Nurses strive to achieve meaningful connections with the patients they care for and often feel inadequate when unable to establish an effective nurse-patient relationship. Current …show more content…
Studies have found discrepancies between nurses’ actual skills and abilities regarding working in collaboration with families and their beliefs surrounding this skill-set (Ells, Hunt, & Chambers-Evans, 2011). Bringing holistic healthcare to the forefront of medicine and educating practitioners of its benefits will assist in breaking down these barriers.
Yet another issue, challenging the realization of patient-centered care, involves organizational structures. Time limitations in implementing holistic care practices may be seen in institutions that utilize team medicine and staffing models where continuity of care changes frequently, resulting in fragmented care and time which limits the ability of nursing staff to form effective patient connections (Ells et al., …show more content…
Effective communication skills become very important when interacting with patients because many times they rely on nurses to be the mediator between themselves and other healthcare professionals when they are unsure of what is occurring. It is well known that patients use alternative medicines but many are reluctant to disclose this to practitioners. In being an effective listener and communicator with patients and their families, nurses are able to analyze their feelings, knowledge, thoughts, and problems and contribute to cultivating a therapeutic environment to answer questions in a way they are easily understood (Selimen & Andsoy, 2011). When patients feel their input is valued they are more inclined to disclose all relevant health information including their use of alternative treatment modalities to their treatment
Nurses strive to achieve meaningful connections with the patients they care for and often feel inadequate when unable to establish an effective nurse-patient relationship. Current …show more content…
Studies have found discrepancies between nurses’ actual skills and abilities regarding working in collaboration with families and their beliefs surrounding this skill-set (Ells, Hunt, & Chambers-Evans, 2011). Bringing holistic healthcare to the forefront of medicine and educating practitioners of its benefits will assist in breaking down these barriers.
Yet another issue, challenging the realization of patient-centered care, involves organizational structures. Time limitations in implementing holistic care practices may be seen in institutions that utilize team medicine and staffing models where continuity of care changes frequently, resulting in fragmented care and time which limits the ability of nursing staff to form effective patient connections (Ells et al., …show more content…
Effective communication skills become very important when interacting with patients because many times they rely on nurses to be the mediator between themselves and other healthcare professionals when they are unsure of what is occurring. It is well known that patients use alternative medicines but many are reluctant to disclose this to practitioners. In being an effective listener and communicator with patients and their families, nurses are able to analyze their feelings, knowledge, thoughts, and problems and contribute to cultivating a therapeutic environment to answer questions in a way they are easily understood (Selimen & Andsoy, 2011). When patients feel their input is valued they are more inclined to disclose all relevant health information including their use of alternative treatment modalities to their treatment