| Holistic nursing is now a nursing specialty and holistic | | | | Relaxation |
| nurses embrace the concepts of holism and healing. | | | | Again research has overwhelmingly shown that |
| Having recently attended the annual conference of | | | | certain essential oils high in terpene alcohols, |
| the American Holistic Nurses Association, I am | | | | particularly the florals, and oils high in esters can have |
| reminded once again of my love for nursing and what | | | | a relaxing effect on the body physically, emotionally |
| it offers to the world in the form of healing. Holistic | | | | and spiritually. They also can influence brain rhythms |
| nurses can be found in many venues like hospitals, | | | | helping the person to drop down into a variety of |
| nursing homes, private practice, hospice, home health | | | | lower levels of brain activity: alpha indicating a quieting |
| care, clinics, doctor's offices and many others. Holistic | | | | of mental chatter and theta and delta indicating the |
| nurses embrace not only holistic principles in their | | | | mind going into reverie with intuitive flashes. Examples |
| nursing but also gather many certifications in various | | | | include chamomile, orange, bergamot, lavender and |
| healing modalities so that they can better offer their | | | | melissa. |
| patients and clients ways to improve their life, | | | | Therapeutic Grade Oils Can Help with Stress Relief |
| restore balance and heal physically, emotionally and | | | | Whether it is the stress of being a patient or client |
| spiritually. Here are three great reasons why I think | | | | who is not in balance or the nurse who is harried with |
| holistic nurses need to become certified | | | | many duties to perform, aromatherapy can help |
| aromatherapists. | | | | stimulate parasympathetic action in the body. Oils like |
| Aromas Enhance a Sense of Well-Being | | | | clary sage, lemongrass, mandarin, myrtle, orange, |
| Positive healing thoughts can produce healing | | | | chamomile, marjoram, frankincense, neroli, |
| reactions in bodily processes. Research shows that a | | | | sandalwood and ylang ylang are known for their |
| pleasant aroma will enhance a greater sense of | | | | ability to quiet racing hearts, lower blood pressure, |
| well-being more than an unpleasant aroma will detract. | | | | promote digestion, and prepare one for sleep. |
| Hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are infamous for | | | | Parasympathetic stimulating oils would be relaxing to |
| offending smells. By diffusing the right therapeutic | | | | the mind, improving to the digestive system, |
| grade oils, nurses can enhance healing by raising one's | | | | countering emotional stress responses and assisting |
| positive sense of well-being. Examples include: neroli, | | | | with sleep. Essential oils classed as "balancing" will not |
| orange, petitgrain, lemon, lavender, Roman chamomile | | | | stimulate a person to either extreme but rather to a |
| and many others. Think about the smell of | | | | balance in the autonomic nervous system. After |
| chemotherapy-for many patients the smell of these | | | | all-we want to achieve a balanced autonomic nervous |
| agents seems to come out of their pores and in their | | | | system with neither system-parasympathetic and |
| urine and stool. Patients describe it as a disgusting | | | | sympathetic-totally governing the body. Examples of |
| odor. Nurses can help by using pleasant aromas to | | | | balancing action oils include bergamot, grapefruit, |
| assist the patient to tolerate the chemotherapy | | | | niaouli, tea tree, cypress, hyssop, lavender, |
| treatments. | | | | ravensara, cedarwood, myrrh and rose. |
| Therapeutic Grade Oils Can Promote Rest and | | | | |