Journal of Holistic Nursing

Inadequate control of acute pain is a well-recognized and serious problem. Distraction is one of the methods used in adjunct with medications to relieve pain. Nature-related sensory stimuli are frequently used for both distraction and relaxation. The human response model that focuses on individual adaptation to health conditions is used in this article to guide an analysis of relevant studies. Four studies in clinical settings evaluated the effect of nature (as a visual stimulus) to determine whether it promoted relief of acute pain. All these studies also used audio stimuli (nature sounds or music). Distracting visual and auditory stimuli used together provided stronger evidence of pain reduction than when either type of stimulus was used alone.

The purposes of this study are to assess Hispanic women’s use of complementary interventions during breast cancer treatment and delineate the association between the most burdensome side effects and the most frequently used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The researchers examined both descriptive statistics and correlational relationships between side effects and CAM. Data were collected from a convenience sample (N = 125). The mean age was 54, the educational average was less than 10 years, and the median income level was less than $20,000 per year. CAM was positively correlated with family income. Prayer was used by 93% of the women, humor was used by 83%, and 65% used exercise. The most frequent side effect of hair loss (70%) was the most bothersome side effect. The most burdensome and unmanageable side effects were bowel problems and nausea. Nurses play a key role in offering affordable, culturally appropriate symptom management interventions.

Pain, in all probability, is the most common symptom experienced by individuals who interact with health care providers. It is understood as a complex and highly individual experience. This complexity is reflected in the paradoxical relationship between patient satisfaction and patient reported pain scores. Using a holistic, caring approach, nurses can optimize the effect of analgesia and facilitate comfort for the person living in pain. Caring for the patient in pain begins with heartfelt compassion and intention to help the person who is suffering. The author describes how the complex relationship and interchange between the patient and the holistic nurse explains the paradox.

Social and professional paradigm shifts of the 1990s moved holistic nursing into the mainstream of health care, resulting in the need for national certification of Holistic Nurses. Given the assumptions that certification examinations are based on the knowledge, skills, and abilities prerequisite for competent practice in a given specialty, and that the certification credential tells the public and peers that the certificant has such knowledge, The American Holistic Nurses Association’s Leadership Council (AHNA-LC) initiated certification processes in 1994. On the request of AHNA-LC, the American Holistic Nurses’ Certification Corporation (AHNCC) assumed these responsibilities in April, 1997. Since then, AHNCC has overseen the revision of the first certification process for holistic nursing prepared at the baccalaureate level and development of a second one designed for holistic nurses prepared in graduate nursing programs. This article describe these developmental processes.

Purpose: The overall goal of this pilot study was to determine the effects of a motivational interviewing (MI) educational program on MI knowledge. Design: Pretest/posttest intervention study. Method: Eleven participants completed a 20-item test prior to a 6-hour course on motivational interviewing. Six of those participants completed a second 2-hour educational session and a posttest. Findings: On average, participants increased their score from the pretest (mean [M] = 12.7, range 8-16; standard error [SE] = 1.256) to the posttest (M = 15.5, range 14-17; SE = 0.428). Although, this difference was not significant, t(5) = −2.49; p = .055; r = .55, given a standard level of significance of .5, the effect size was large, representing a substantive change. Conclusions: The motivational interviewing intervention was deemed clinically successful by the multidisciplinary committee based on the large effect size.