Holistic Nursing Tips for Coping with Stress in the Workplace

By Caroline Ortiz - March 18, 2015
Holistic Nursing Tips for Coping with Stress in the Workplace

Many of us experience some degree of stress in the workplace, but ironically, nurses (who help treat patients suffering from stress related illnesses) are experiencing stress at a much higher rate than most other groups, according to a study conducted by the American Nurses Association. In the study, 70.5% of nurses cited the effects of stress and overwork among their top three health and safety concerns.

We think you can relate to some of the reasons why, even if you’re not a nurse. They include: workload, inadequate staff coverage, time pressure, relationship with other staff, leadership/management style, excessive noise, lack of influence in decision making…and that’s just to name a few.

Holistic Nursing: A Comprehensive Approach to Stress

While nurses as a whole are suffering from stress, a nursing specialty group called “holistic nursing” offers a refreshing perspective on how to heal yourself from the stress plaguing your life.

Holistic nursing views all parts of a human being as inseparable and interconnected. Our mental, emotional, physical and social/relational aspects are all intertwined and interconnected, according to the American Holistic Nursing Association. In other words, what affects one part of yourself will influence all the other parts too, so by engaging in a variety of positive and anti-stressful activities, you will be reducing the stress in the other areas of your life.

 

Effective Stress Management Techniques for Nurses

Holistic nurses suggest some of the following activities for coping with stress in a healthy way:

  • Yoga and Tai Chi
  • Meditation/Prayer
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Art, Music, and Dance
  • Journaling
  • Cognitive Restructuring
  • Diaphragmatic Breathing

If you’re interested in delving deeper into these topics, learn about becoming a student in PCOM’s holistic nursing program.

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Caroline Ortiz

Caroline E. Ortiz is a board-certified nurse coach and an associate professor in the Pacific College of Health and Science’s Holistic Nursing Programs. She has developed holistic health programs for healthcare providers and general audiences, participated in clinical research of integrative medicine, and created a Spanish-language guided meditation library for Health Journeys. She is active with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-NY Chapter and the Integrative Health Project’s work in Guatemala. Caroline is also a curandera (f., traditional healer) apprentice and curanderismo (traditional medicine of Mesoamerican roots) researcher.

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