You At Your Best

By KaReN RICe NWa DeMoCRaT-GazeTTe Although nurses no longer wear traditional white nurse's caps, there is no question that they wear many hats. The nursing profession has expanded greatly, to include private nursing, travel nursing, training the next generation of nurses, and more. Nursing has also branched out to include holistic nursing, which employs alternative medicine to care for patients. Alternative medicine is sometimes combined with traditional western medicine, requiring holistic nurses, who are sometimes referred to as "complementary health nurses," understand both holistic and traditional nursing methods. According to the Campaign for Nursing's Future, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, holistic nursing is rooted in the idea that nurses cannot treat a patient's physical health without addressing the whole person, an idea that harkens back to the early work of Florence Nightingale herself, who first addressed the emotional and spiritual needs of her patients. In addition to addressing their patients' physical problems, holistic nurses also try to address their patients' mental, spiritual and emotional well-being. Holistic nursing is a growing field, and it's entirely possible that the role of holistic nurses will expand in the years to come. Some of the things today's holistic nurses do include: • acupuncture • assisting patients with managing stress • aromatherapy • massage • hypnosis, hydrotherapy and balneotherapy • Chinese and Eastern healing practices • wellness coaching According to the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), holistic nursing is not intended to negate the validity of conventional medical therapies or traditional nursing. Holistic nursing serves to complement, broaden and enrich the scope of nursing practices while aiming to help patients access their greatest healing potential. The AHNA notes that holistic nurses must be registered and/or licensed. Such nurses may be found working at hospitals, universities and private practices. Men and women interested in pursuing a career in nursing can learn more about holistic nursing at www.ahna.org. The many faces of nursing Graduation ceremony is May 17 for inaugural Nurse Residency Class at Northwest Health SpeCIaL To NWa DeMoCRaT-GazeTTe A graduation ceremony for the first RN Residency Class at Northwest Health is being held Friday, May 17, at 6 pm at Northwest Medical Center- Springdale. Eighteen nurses will graduate from the program. The RN residency program at Northwest Health was launched to ensure that new graduate nurses can transition to independent practice with competence, confidence and commitment. "We are dedicated to providing an excellent learning and development experience," said Debbi Neece, RN, Nurse Residency Coordinator. "RN residents are supported by a team of leaders who are generous with their knowledge and experience. The 12-month program includes knowledge and competency assessments, confidence surveys, virtual simulation, married-state preceptorship and monthly live sessions with other residents, in addition to other learning opportunities." Each participant also develops a special project. The deadline to apply to join the September 2019 RN Residency 12-month program is July 12. For more information, contact Debbi Neece at (479) 757- 5594 or visit the Careers section on the NorthwestHealth.com website. SATURdAY, ApRil 27, 2019 | mAY - BEST nURSES nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST | YOU AT YOUR BEST | 11 REGENERATIVE THERAPY ACUPUNCTURE TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS CHIROPRACTIC 479.271.6992 1300 SE 14th St Suite 2 Bentonville, AR 72712 www.smithfamilyclinicnwa.com www.smithfamilyclinicnwa.com SMITH Family Clinic NWA ADVANCE MEDICAL Creating Healthier Lives...One Patient at a Time Creating Healthier Lives...One Patient at a Time Dr. Jeff Smith D.C. & Associates NOW FEATURING BRAIN BASED THERAPY FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF Thyroid • Dementia • Alzheimer's • Fibromyalgia • Migraines • Chronic Back Pain • Peripheral Neuropathy • Strokes • Macular Degeneration • Knee Pain & ADHD We are now offering Regenerative Medical Therapy Facebook.com/NWAAdvancedMedicalInc. For: Knee Pain, Hip Pain, Shoulder Pain Health & Wellness

• Cover