Physical Health and Holistic

¶ … care in the situation of Mr. and Mrs. P would be holistic in nature, grounded in a philosophy of caring. There are serious existential issues at stake, as Mr. P has wondered why God has not "taken him" already, while Mrs. P may be suffering from depression given her inability to leave the house or handle the life affairs like paying the bills. Therefore, a recommended treatment plan would focus more attention on the mental and spiritual health of the couple without taking attention away from Mr. P's physical needs.

It would also look after the physical health of Mrs. P as well as her psychological needs. As holistic nursing takes a "whole person" approach, it is the ideal philosophical framework for working with this small family unit. As the AHNA (2016) puts it, holistic nursing aims "to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection." From the holistic nursing framework, the practitioner can encourage self-care and health-seeking behaviors motivated not from external directives from health care providers but from inside, a source of inner motivation.

Instead of framing issues in terms of "should," the nurse gently steers and patient and his wife towards reasons to choose health-seeking behaviors. Whether those behaviors involve regular taking of medications or joining a self-help group, the behaviors need to have intrinsic motivational features. It may also be important to review the recent literature on the introduction of psychedelic drugs into the treatment plan. Psychedelic drugs can be particularly effective in situations like these, where palliative care may be immanent and also where mental health issues are present.

Shumate (2013) found that some psychedelic drugs are effective in treating some mental health issues. As Cameron (2016) also points out, psychedelic drugs can be more effective than traditional interventions for chronic conditions, and are especially useful within the holistic nursing framework because of the role of psychedelics in spiritual and emotional healing. A method for providing patient and his wife with education would include one-on-one counseling sessions describing the holistic nursing philosophy. Their former program of care might have stressed the physical nature of Mr.

P's illness, at the expense of his emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual health. As Mr. P lacks an extended social support system, it becomes critical for him to strengthen his relationship with his wife, and to recognize the value in some form of spiritual inquiry. Even if Mr. P is an atheist, techniques like mindfulness meditation can tremendously approve his ability to cope mentally with the illness and mortality, which Mr. P has already expressed an ability to do.

His mentioning of God does seem to indicate that he may have a belief in God and could also be introduced to different methods of prayer. His wife would also be present at the counseling and information sessions, to provide a framework for their care plan. The care plan is holistic and will stress their relationship and its emotional components as well as the need for health-seeking behaviors on both of their part. The rationale for providing a spiritual framework is embedded in the holistic nursing theory.

Finally, a teaching plan for the patient and Mrs. P would start with some materials and books, including online information they can use to read in their own time. They can then choose a direction for their emotional and spiritual growth and report back for the next teaching session. In subsequent sessions, I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. P to the concept and practice of mindfulness and also to the.