A concept analysis of holistic nursing care in paediatric nursing

Holistic nursing care is widely advocated and is espoused in the philosophy of the South African Nursing Council. This concept is unclear, variously interpreted and poorly understood in paediatric nursing. This study was undertaken to examine the meaning of holistic nursing care and to develop a framework for holistic nursing care, which can be utilised in nurse education settings and in clinical nursing practice in the context of paediatric nursing. A qualitative, interpretive, explorative and contextual research design was used. An evolutionary concept analysis was undertaken to clarify the concept "holistic nursing care" in paediatric nursing in three Johannesburg hospitals. Rodgers' (1989, 2000) evolutionary method was utilised to analyse the concept. The study objectives were formulated in two phases to: --Conduct an analysis of the concept "holistic nursing care" --Obtain an emic viewpoint of holistic nursing care from paediatric nurses working in the academic hospitals. --Identify the characteristics and dimensions of "holistic nursing care" and develop a framework of holistic nursing care for paediatric nurses working in the academic hospitals. Attributes of holistic nursing care yielded two dimensions; whole person and mind-body-Spirit dimension. The decriptors of whole-person include physical, mental, emotional, spirit and spitual being. Spirituality is the predominant antecedent. Holistic nursing care is initiated by the recognition of the individual as a spiritual being with a mind-body-spirit dimension. Spirituality is an ever-present force pervading all human experience. Complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) was identified as a surrogate term. The connection of CAM with holistic nursing care is the focus of therapeutic interventions that are directed to the mind-body-spirit dimension. Therapeutic interventions are designed to meet the needs of the whole-person. Caution is advocated in the use of CAM therapies in child nursing, as CAM efficacy has not been sufficiently investigated in child health care.