Expert Holistic Nurses’ Advice to Nursing Students

Abstract

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe the advice that expert holistic nurses gave to nursing students regarding the theory and practice of holistic nursing and to describe nursing students’ experience and perceptions of their interaction with the experts. Design: This was a qualitative descriptive study. Methods: Nursing students who attended the 2008 and 2009 conferences of the American Holistic Nurses Association interviewed expert holistic nurses, asking them for advice for beginners. Students recorded the interviews on paper and wrote their perceptions of interacting with experts. The data were examined for recurring themes. Findings: The most common advice from the experts was regarding the importance of self-care, person-centered care, touch, and lifelong learning. Students’ perceptions of the interviews included feeling empowered to accomplish goals, gaining a greater understanding of holistic nursing, and feeling admiration for the holistic nurse experts. Conclusion: Giving students the opportunity to interact with nurse experts in an individual, informal setting is a useful educational strategy that increases knowledge, promotes socialization to the nursing profession, and offers students opportunities for professional networking.