Holistic medicine is nothing new although it has gained tremendous popularity within the past 20 years. With this, a person’s health needs are assessed and treated in a unique way. Rather than the symptoms of sickness or disease being treated alone, the patient is treated as a whole, meaning the underlying cause or causes of the health problem are also identified, assessed, and then properly treated using conventional medical means.
Holistic Nursing Career, Role of a Holistic Nurse
The term “Holistic” comes from “Holism”, which means “The whole is more than the sum of parts”, which is why with this type of medical care, often a patient recovers quicker and better. This type of medical concept has a 5,000-year history that originated in China and India but today, holistic doctors and Holistic Nurses are very popular choices. Many different forms of alternative medicine are used in holistic medicine along with traditional medicine. For instance, a patient might be treated with a combination of acupuncture and massage along with therapy and medication.
The role of a Holistic Nurse is much the same as any Registered Nurse in that the patient’s needs would be determined and then an appropriate treatment method developed and executed. However, because this form of medicine is a blend of two medical approaches, most often a Holistic Nurse will have a standard nursing degree along with special training in holistic medicine of one form or another.
Holistic Nurse Educational Requirements
To become a qualified Holistic Nurse, at minimum a person would need to be a Licensed Practical Nurse after earning an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree although more opportunities would be presented by working this type of career as a Registered Nurse who has obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Along with this, the individual would require special training in the area of holistic medicine most interested in or that person could complete special training a variety of additional areas.
Some of the more common types of special training a Holistic Nurse will undergo include acupuncture, massage therapy, hypnosis, stress management, aromatherapy, reflexology, visualization, imagery, and much more. Typically, the person who has both the conventional nursing degree coupled with specialized training would have far more career opportunities, thereby making the job more enjoyable and rewarding.
Holistic Nurse Salaries
The salary to work in a Holistic Nursing career would depend on several factors such as the type of facility where the individual is employed, geographic location, education level, and various types of special training that has been completed. However, on average a Holistic Nurse makes about $45,000 a year. Now, if a Holistic Nurse were to pursue additional advanced degrees, such as working in holistic research or perhaps as a certified Nurse Midwife, then include would increase substantially. Typically, larger organizations and medical facilities offer the best pay although a few of the smaller or private facilities would also be good considerations.
Holistic Nurse Opportunities
Because holistic medicine continues to increase in popularity with more and more patients looking for complete healing, experts strongly believe that opportunities as a Holistic Nurse will also increase to keep up with demand. This is a very important part of medicine, one that provides a variety of unique opportunities. Therefore, job stability remains strong and will continue to be strong for many years to come. Someone interested in working as a Holistic Nurse needs to remember that because of the principles of this form of healthcare, several branches could be added to the job working as a traditional Registered Nurse.
