Nursing Tactics, Article Critique Example

There are many different theories and concepts surrounding the practice and implementation of nursing tactics within the professional medical community.  One such concept is that of a holistic approach to medicine and nursing treatment that involves utilizing alternative mind-body methods of care to help patients further their treatment by allowing the mind to connect with the body and produce internal treatments.  Toni Gilbert, RN (2003) wrote an article on her personal experiences with the holistic treatment methodology within a case of a woman with a thyroidal disorder.  There were multiple stages of the holistic process that involved initial treatment where the patient was taught to allow the mind to gain control over the body and influence the body to push away the disease-causing agents through careful meditation and concentration.  Secondly, the next stages that were of great interest were the counseling and analytical stages.  These stages were utilized to allow the patient to discuss her own feelings regarding the disease and how it influenced her behaviors, relationships and ultimately changed her life.

This article discusses a different area of nursing treatment methodology that is highly debated and discussed within the field.  It is difficult to examine the true benefits of the holistic approach because it is typically paired with the traditional medical treatments involving medication.  Regardless of the methodology, the ultimate goal of providing care to the patient is to enable the patient to be placed in the best possible scenario for improving his or her personal, mental and physical health.  The holistic approach enables the patient to tap into the mental health aspects that are seldom ignored and enable the patient to gain a deeper appreciation for the changes that are occurring due to the disease.  The only negative aspect of this article is that it presents only an observational account of this specific case.  There are very few facts to support to author’s claims because the article is primarily observational and opinion-based.  This article would not be a strong article to support the widespread use of holistic care; however, it does present an informational and touching story of a woman attempting to grasp the seriousness of her disease.

Bibliography

Gilbert, T. (2003). Application of holistic nursing. Alternative Journal of Nursing, 1(2), Retrieved from http://www.altjn.com/archives/8.asp