Reductionism and holism in coronary heart disease and cardiac nursing

Reductionism and holism are two contrasting philosophies which provide scientific knowledge of disease processes, health dynamics and care interventions. While reductionism focuses on specific and perhaps narrow concepts, it enhances our in-depth knowledge of key health issues. Holism focuses on understanding how all the significant factors affecting the particular health issue are involved, so a more informed decision can be made about health intervention. This article explores the contribution each makes to our understanding of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to the preparation of nurses working in cardiac nursing. It proposes that pre- and post-registration nursing curricula reflect both reductionist and holistic approaches and therefore cardiac nurses are suitably trained to manage reductionist as well as holistic care for clients with CHD.