Laurie Laugeman, BSN, RN, leader of the Western New York chapter of the American Holistic Nurses Association, has been a nurse for 34 years and, in anticipation of the organization's upcoming annual meeting, spoke about the increased use of holistic care with The Buffalo News.
Ms. Laugeman clarified that there are many misconceptions about the definition of holistic care, which often leads people to toss the idea aside. She noted that the concept of holistic care encompasses many ideas and is not tethered to one definition.
"I think we're still trying to decipher what we mean when we say 'holistic.' Some people think it's about herbs and vitamins, but some people might think holistic is treating the whole person and whole patient," Ms. Laugeman told The Buffalo News. "The word has many definitions in terms of how the public views it. If someone is treating the mind, body, spirit in motion, I see that as holistic. As a nurse, being holistic is how I act, interact and how all nurses create their personal practice. I want to be in tune and connect with my patients. I think that's what many nurses do."
Ms. Laugeman said the medical community has grown more open to holistic methods than it was in the 1980's, when even chiropractic care could sometimes be considered off base. However, the more the public has learned about the benefits of alternative and complementary care methods, the more open medical professionals have become to working holistic ideas into care plans.