By: S. Hole RN BN MN
Holistic nursing is as much about the nurse as it is about the client or patient. It is not unusual to assume that holistic nursing refers to the nurse who uses complementary approaches, like energy healing, meditation or essential oils in his or her nursing practice. While many holistic nurses do implement these and other modalities into their nursing practice, modalities themselves do not define holistic nursing. In fact, you can practice holistic nursing without using a specific modality!
It Begins with YOU!
Holistic nursing begins with the nurse; better yet, within the nurse. It is about honoring YOU! It is about extreme self-awareness, self-development, and self-care. It is way of being, a way of life, a new paradigm.
As holistic nursing is often associated with modalities, self-care is often associated with me-time, reading a book, or of course the proverbial bubble-bath. When we talk about selfcare, however, we aren’t simply referring to the things that you do for yourself.
Indeed, these are important elements of self-care, and we encourage you to keep on doing the things that brings you joy!
What Holistic Nursing really is…
It is about deep inner work and commitment to you.
Holistic nursing is about how we ‘show-up’, regardless of whether we are at the bedside, having lunch with a friend, or waking up to a day of uncertainty—perhaps even fear—amidst the wake of COVID-19.
It’s about honoring our vulnerability and discovery our resiliency. It’s about shifting our perspective and discovering our inner resources so that self-compassion and self-care become a natural part of what we do and how we do things on a daily basis.
Sherry Hole RN BN MN BC-HN BC-HWNC IHC
Founder & President at The Canadian Institute of Integrative Nursing Development & Education
A registered nurse and educator for 30 years, Sherry has found her passion in holistic nursing and coaching and the connection between mind, body and spirit.
Her journey to rediscovering joy amidst her own life and health challenges led her to holistic nursing, and as she says, “the rest is history”. When Sherry started applying what she was learning through holistic nursing and coaching into her daily activities she experienced a profound shift in not only her health, but also in her overall perspective and approach to life. Sherry believes that anyone can learn mindful practices; and, that mindfulness coupled with subtle changes in how we perceive our world can have an unfathomable effect on our physical and mental health and well-being.
Sherry’s mission is to share her knowledge, experience and compassion with others so that they can experience more joy, peace and calm in everything that they do!