Journal of Holistic Nursing

Nursing in the nineties offers nurses many possibilities by synthesizing conventional approaches of the nursing process with newer perspectives of holistic health. The holistic nurse caring process is one way nurses can merge these two methods.

The holistic nurse caring process suggests shifts in terminology and meaning for each of the five focal areas: from assess to access, nursing diagnosis to state of being, planning/goals to purpose, intervention to respond/influence, and evaluate to state of being.

The access phase of the holistic nurse caring process utilizes a tool, the Holistic Nurse Access Tool. The tool is presented to offer nurses other possible ways to more fully connect with others. Each of the proposed phases is described.

Health models are applied to improving the health of nursing organizations. Health models that view health as expanding consciousness, health as rhythmic meaningfulness, and health as a sense of coherence are useful because they are consistent with nursing goals andfacilitate greater understanding of organizational health. Use of the models involve 1) application of the model definition of health to organizational health; 2) use of an assessment tool based on the model to identify health patterns; 3) facilitating an awareness of the organizational healthy/unhealthy work patterns; 4) collaborating with staff and administration in identifying strategies to improve the health of the organization. Examples are used to demonstrate application of the models in nursing work environments.

This paper presents an approach to spirituality in children utilizing the framework of a broad understanding of the concept while drawing on the work of developmental theorists. A brief discussion of characteristics and expressions of spirituality and its relationship to values is included. Factors which nurses need to consider when approaching spirituality in children at various stages of developmentfrom the perinatal period through school age are discussed. In dealing with spirituality in children it is important that the nurse be attentive to experiences and expressions both of the child and of the parents or caretakers who greatly influence the childs life and development.

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether Therapeutic Touch, a meditative healing technique, is a placebo or whether it is a form of communication with energetic or electrical properties. Both claims have been proposed by the techniques adherents. Peirces theory of signs and Wilbers epistemologically-oriented, new world paradigm were used as a framework for analyzing the merits of each premise. Therapeutic Touch is evaluated in terms of six elements of communication: the source, destination, channel, message, code and context. Comparisons are supported by rational argument and research findings.

Guided Imagery has many uses in Nursing Education. Imagery is taught to nursing students for independent use as anxiety reduction and stress management and transfer of psychomotor skill performance from the learning laboratory to the clinical setting.

A formal smoking cessation program was developed using guided imagery as a primary intervention. Seventy-five participants attended seven program sessions that focused on imagery training, practice, and reinforcement. General educational materials concerning smoking and health were also provided to participants. A 79O/6 success rate for smoking reduction/cessation was achieved. Program evaluations reflected that imagery was useful to 25% of the attendees. Other beneficial techniques included behavorial coping responses, behavior modification, and social support. Stress was identified as the major cause offailure to quit cigarettes. Study data provide guidance for the development offuture programs. Further validation and refinement of imagery as a nursing intervention is recommended.