Discussing the 5 Important Aspects of Holistic Care that Concern Patients and Healers Alike

Generally speaking, holistic care is a very broad term and so many different disciplines follow it in such a variety of ways that it’s not easy to pinpoint what it means. There are controversies galore regarding holistic medicine as well, which makes it even harder to determine what can be considered an acceptable part of spirituality in medicine, and what should be discarded as misleading.

However, it’s only confusing for those that do not understand the core philosophies of holistic care and treatment. Today, we are going to discuss five very important aspects of the holistic approach to medicine and nursing, which will help patients to find true practitioners of holistic healing, as well as help healers and nurses get a better understanding of what the philosophy behind holistic treatment is.

Merging Traditional Medicine with Holistic Nursing and Healing

All the core elements that make holistic medicine and care so fulfilling should integrate seamlessly with traditional medicine. In truth, there should not be any qualms between the two, but reaching harmony is not easy, especially since patients are often led astray by malpractitioners of holistic disciplines who either misinterpret them for their own gains, or have been taught to follow the practice from the wrong viewpoint.

This no longer has to be the case, however, since some of the core medical principles of holistic medicine are now being incorporated into traditional medicine. For example, a registered nurse with enough medical hours under her belt can easily obtain an online RN to BSN holistic nursing degree from the Carson-Newman Christian University. Not only does a degree in holistic nursing help immensely towards career progression for the nursing professional, it offers a perfect combination of medical science, clinical expertise, faith, comprehensive care, and true, natural healing. The idea behind holistic nursing is not as much about alternative medicine as it is about a wholesome approach to patient care that covers every aspect of a patient’s recovery, including their physical, mental and spiritual healing.

Avoiding Unnecessary Medication

The holistic approach often involves using proven, natural remedies to combat minor illnesses, which do not have any negative side effects. It negates the need for the unnecessary intake of prescription drugs, which do, on the other hand, sometimes have a list of side-effects.

To illustrate this, let’s look at the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics. It was found at one point that people were being prescribed antibiotics for the common cold, the flu and other viral diseases upon visiting their GP. Not only were the antibiotics completely ineffective against viral diseases, but they also further weakened the patient’s body to a point where the virus lasted longer and did more damage than it would have without treatment.

As a side effect, each time it was used unnecessarily, the antibacterial became a little less effective against certain strains of bacteria, which were not even causing a problem at the time the drugs were prescribed. Furthermore, antibiotics killed off patients’ probiotic bacterium as well, which are helpful, essential microbes living in our digestive system.

Certain strains of bacteria have now become resistant to almost all known forms of antibacterial medication. It’s a scary situation to be in, especially when you know that illnesses like typhoid could once again become an epidemic in certain parts of the world and have no effective treatment options.

As it happens, all of the above could have been avoided if a holistic approach to simple illnesses was taken. In fact, the majority of colds tend to go away on their own in a few days, especially when the patient has no other medical issues. And, although no one can exactly cure the flu immediately, alternative, natural remedies and care-based treatments can lessen the symptoms and make the viral episode pass much faster.

Not Ignoring Necessary Medication

Here is where most people without the adequate amount of information and correct knowledge get it wrong, because there is a clear distinction between unnecessary and necessary medication.

The holistic approach to healthcare doesn’t negate the need for modern medical science by any means; at least not the disciplines that are effective and being run by proper healthcare professionals anyway! The idea, as mentioned above, concerns not taking medication unless there is a need for it. It generally revolves around the concept of getting your mental and spiritual wellbeing, nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc. in balance, so that the body can fight off minor illnesses on its own much faster. However, when there is an actual illness which requires the facilities of a modern medicine, holistic medicine is not supposed to be the alternative to known cures.

That being said, holistic nursing can be extremely effective in aiding patient recovery. Holistic nursing is a complete care package which sees each and every patient from the first day of the treatment, to full recovery, with specific, personalized care, meant to aid that particular individual in his/her recovery, in the best possible way. The customized and comprehensive nature of holistic nursing is what sets it apart from traditional, generic nursing practices.

Faith is an Important Factor in Holistic Care

Faith has become synonymous with religion. However, faith in holistic treatment is more about the faith in one’s own self, the care and treatment provided, as well as faith in the patient’s own ability to get better. It works best when present in both the patient and the healer, but for the most part, the healer often has to have enough of it to facilitate the healing process on their own.

From a purely scientific point of view, it makes sense as well. It has been found that even placebos can work wonders by harnessing the power of the human mind. However, when care is provided on a personal level, with complete assistance from modern medical science, it’s not a placebo effect that faith has anymore.

Unlike the placebo effect, where the patient seems to get temporarily better for no known reason, the power of holistic faith calls the patient and the physicians to be confident in the actual treatment. It almost always works better if the patient believes that it will.

Furthermore, the physicians and nurses are not supposed to give up on their faith in the patient’s ability to heal, until it’s not an option anymore. The extended and complete care, which is such an intrinsic part of holistic treatment, helps patients fight longer and better. Unfortunately, it isn’t always enough in situations where healing is beyond the realms of possibility for one reason or the other, but it often does augment the effects of medication and proper care perfectly.

The Philosophy of Holistic Care: Beyond Religion and Medical Science

A patient’s own religious beliefs can also act as a source of strength for holistic nursing and treatment, but this isn’t limited by the specific belief. Faith may define different concepts to different individuals, but in treatment and healthcare, at least, religion isn’t a limiting factor by any means.

Some of what we’ve discussed isn’t just limited to patients and healers either. Holistic thinking can just as easily be incorporated into our regular activities to help us live longer, healthier lives, without too many sick days spoiling the fun. The holistic approach to healthcare is also a lifestyle, as much as it is a way to heal from illnesses of the mind, body and spirit.

The philosophy of holistic healthcare, fostered in essence by Florence Nightingale, but further enhanced via modern learnings, education, inventions, medicine and technology, seeks to empower the body, spirit and the mind to help us live better lives, heal faster and remain peaceful.

Holistic nurses are often community builders, peace leaders and social awareness agents. The philosophy goes beyond both religion and modern healthcare by connecting the wellbeing of the person with the environment around them.

This environment concerns both natural and man-made, therefore, the philosophy transcends both medical science and religion as it seeks to help everyone find a uniting factor with each other and with environment/society itself. Peace, health, prosperity and spiritual wellbeing are some of the goals of holistic healing.

No doctor will ever be against a treatment philosophy which advocates the power of healthy and clean eating, adequate nutrition, regular exercise and sufficient sleep, which is why, as already mentioned, there should not be any conflicts between holistic healing and modern medical science.

However, the problem lies with obsession or illogical behavior, which is at times seen from so-called "holy/holistic/spiritual healers" and their hapless victims who have lost all hope.

While true holistic approach involves maintaining balance, such extremist or fraudulent beliefs disrupt that very balance. The patient is supposed to maintain a balance between modern medication and healthy living, not give up on either. Similar to how modern medicine cannot possibly be a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, holistic medicine cannot be a replacement for modern medicine, which it seeks to simply work with, not against.