Quality Care
"…remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug."
The Hippocratic Oath
En Español | Holistic care is a philosophy of healing that incorporates the whole person – mind, body and spirit – in its approach to treatment, taking into consideration the unique physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of each individual. It is not an alternative medical treatment method, but rather a different approach to health.
Holistic care seeks to supplement a patient’s chosen treatment with methods of care that aim to heal the parts of ourselves not treated by conventional medical medicine. Throughout history, before modern medicine existed, humans used methods of healing that consisted of simple activities such as talking, touching, meditation, and observation in order to help the sick. Holistic medicine seeks to integrate and honor such forms of treating the invisible parts of ourselves, recognizing the underlying connection between our minds, emotions, and bodies.
The quality of care provided by nurses and patient care technicians is sometimes limited due to institutional and organizational difficulties, such as a lack of time and resources and the variable motivation and interest of each staff member. If we are to consider the patient as a mind-body-spiritual individual and seek to reduce the emotional stress to hospitalized patients and those receiving treatment through a holistic approach, we can achieve better outcomes in the healing process.