Sounds good to me! http://www.wacotrib.com/news/99184304.html

A national nursing organization that focuses on holistic care is gaining momentum in Central Texas.

Called the American Holistic Nurses Association, the group believes patients are more than the sum of their body parts.

It encourages nurses to consider spiritual, cultural and other factors when treating patients. It also promotes the idea that health goes far beyond just keeping illness at bay.

Local nurse practitioner Lyn McCright launched a local chapter of the association last spring. But it wasn’t until recently that she started actively recruiting for it.

The chapter now has nine members and is optimistic its numbers will grow.

The group held its first meeting this week, which included a presentation from a nurse who wrote a book about how to improve end-of-life care. Twenty-two people attended, McCright said.

The chapter covers the Greater Waco area, as well as Temple and Killeen.

“It’s really been amazing to see the support we’ve had in the community,” McCright said.

Started in 1981, the national association is open to nurses of all levels. A sister organization offers certification in holistic nursing, which became a recognized specialty about four years ago. Certification is not required to join the group.

One thing that makes holistic nursing unique is that it can be used by nurses in all practice areas, McCright said.

Holistic nursing is focused around the belief that medical treatment should look at more than patients’ physical problems, McCright said.

It considers the spiritual, cultural, emotional, relational and environmental factors that might influence someone’s health. It emphasizes the connection between mind, body and spirit, she said.

“As we’ve gotten stronger and stronger scientifically, we’ve lost some of the art of nursing,” McCright said. “It’s too easy to depend on technology rather than our insights about what’s right for that particular patient at that time,” she said.

Holistic nurses also view health in terms of maximum well-being, rather than just the absence of illness, McCright said.

They emphasize that patients have a responsibility for their health and that everyday choices play a big role in wellness.

Rather than just handing down orders, holistic nurses work with patients to involve them in planning for their best possible health, she said.

“It’s not a cookbook approach,” she said.

Holistic nursing can also incorporate alternative and complementary therapies — everything from nutritional supplements to acupuncture.

The local chapter will enable nurses to learn more about the holistic approach, McCright said. She hopes to put on an educational program every other month.

The other goal of the group is to be a support system for nurses, McCright said. If members don’t take good care of themselves, they can’t offer the best care to patients.

With the holistic approach in particular, it’s important that nurses be calm and centered when interacting with patients, she said.

Liz Flynn, another local nurse practitioner who is a member of the group, said she is excited about the opportunity to interact with other like-minded nurses.

She has an interest in using complementary and alternative therapies alongside traditional medicine and has found most patients do, too, she said.

“There’s a lot more we can do to help (stay healthy) than taking medicine,” Flynn said.

Sandy Goss, chair of nursing at McLennan Community College, agreed that holism is becoming more accepted.

Such concepts are increasingly being incorporated into nursing school curriculum, she said, adding that they have great potential to improve care.