The Quality Of Care In Holistic Nursing Programs

By Harold Brooks


Most mainstream doctors and nurses today ask patients how they are feeling and then decide what kind of treatment patients need based on the responses they get. They do not take the time to find out what factors beyond the obvious could be at play in a person's mind or body before prescribing medications or recommending certain treatments. Because the focus is on providing fast if not incomplete treatment, patients sometimes continue to suffer from repeated bouts of the same injury or illness often for years on end. However, holistic nursing programs seek to look beyond the obvious and instead focus on viewing patients as whole beings rather than a collection of symptoms or physical reactions.

This approach involves taking a look at every aspect of people's physical wellness instead of isolated symptoms. It calls for the provider to investigate what may or may not be a root cause of the distress rather than just responding or reacting to it. In this way, this care plan is proactive and preventative, which in many cases is something new and unfamiliar to doctors and nurses today.

When you go to the doctor for a headache, for example, he or she will most likely ask you what you did to cause the headache rather than what deeper cause could be at play. Sometimes the cause might be out of your control entirely. Nonetheless, the physician's response will be to prescribe something to stop the pain instead of looking for that deeper factor that may or may not cause you to suffer the same or worse pain in the near future.

Depression and anxiety can also contribute to this ailment, which calls for a different course of treatment. The patient might require therapy and antidepressant medication rather than injections of migraine drugs or over-the-counter pain relievers. Additionally, the person might benefit from therapeutic massages or acupuncture.

The providers at these alternative facilities appreciate the fact that your entire wellness is a complicated and delicate system full of factors that play into each other. When one aspect of your health suffers, it is only a matter of time before others within your body and mind likewise start to fail. The providers seek to address and stabilize the initial factor before it triggers the others and causes you to become ill.

This type of healthcare cannot be found in many mainstream clinics and hospitals. You might have to look to alternative providers and in locations like universities or vocational schools that offer community program options for residents. This trend has yet to catch on in mainstream medicine.

You also could look to the acupuncturists, therapeutic massage providers, and other alternative facilities nearby. Many of them have undergone training to learn the appropriate techniques. Many also have training that is similar or identical to the lessons that nurses take during their first year or two in school. They also price their services lower.

Overall, however, you could benefit by having your health assessed holistically instead of just as a collection of symptoms or physical signs of distress. You will be treated as a whole person and not as someone suffering from a specific illness or injury. This proactive approach could improve your health and help you avoid the same illnesses and injuries in the future.




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