Champions for patients and trusted colleagues for physicians, nurses are nurturing and fiercely resourceful. They are often the ones with whom patients connect the most because of their attentiveness and compassion. Serving as a source of knowledge about medical procedures for patients and their families, nurses adapt quickly to unique situations to ensure their patients receive the best care.
At AdventHealth University, our nursing school prepares graduates to go beyond standard nursing practices to provide patients with whole-person care.
But what is whole-person care, and why does it matter? Here, we’ll discuss the significance of a whole-person care approach to nursing and why it’s important to find a nursing school prepared to train you in a wholistic approach to healing.
What is Whole-Person Care?
Whole-person care focuses on treating the overall patient rather than addressing individual symptoms or diagnoses. This means of care considers the entirety of a patient's needs — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health as well as unique needs and preferences. Simply put, whole-person care sees each patient as an individual, going beyond standard treatment to ensure patients receive personalized care with integrity and compassion.
Why is Whole-Person Care Important?
Nurses understand the importance of addressing a patient’s acute symptoms, ensuring comfort and care during treatment. But another critical aspect of whole-person care is viewing the patient as an individual — what other factors affect patient outcomes outside of presenting symptoms and diagnoses?
Research shows whole-person care is essential for achieving optimal health outcomes for patients. It recognizes that people are more than just their physical bodies and that emotional, environmental, social, and spiritual factors can impact a person’s overall well-being. By taking a wholistic approach to health care, nurses can better understand patients’ needs and wishes.
Benefits of Whole-Person Care:
- Improved patient outcomes: Studies show that patients who receive whole-person care are more likely to experience improved health outcomes, such as reduced pain and improved quality of life.
- Increased patient satisfaction: Patients who receive whole-person care are more likely to be satisfied with their treatment experience.
- Greater sense of empowerment for patients: Patients who feel understood by nurses who take the time to address their physical, mental, and spiritual needs are more likely to feel empowered to take control of their health.
Ultimately, whole-person care is about treating people, not just their illnesses, and ensuring they receive the care and support they need to live their best lives.
How Whole-Person Care Makes You a Better Nurse
As a nurse, the nature of your relationship with patients differs from other providers. Your consistent interactions with patients and their families could provide more insight into a patient's needs outside of standard medical treatment. Perhaps a challenging cancer diagnosis warrants a visit from a hospital chaplain, or a patient would benefit from nutrition counseling or pet therapy. These unique insights lead to wholistic healing for patients and their families, designing a treatment plan to address all aspects of personhood.
But how can training in whole-person care help you become a better nurse?
- Building trust with patients: Understanding the patient as an individual leads to increased confidence in care and openness to new suggestions.
- Increased patient satisfaction: When you recognize the needs of your patient as an individual and address them wholistically, they are more likely to be satisfied with their experience.
- Increased job satisfaction: When you provide whole-person care, you get to see the difference you are making in the lives of your patients and their families, helping them achieve the best health outcomes.
How to Become a Nurse Who Provides Whole-Person Care:
If you are interested in earning a nursing degree and providing whole-person care, there are a few things you can do to prepare:
- Choose a nursing program that emphasizes whole-person care: When choosing a nursing degree program, ask about the curriculum and how it will prepare you to provide whole-person care.
- Seek varied clinical experiences with wholistic-care experts: Explore nursing schools that provide hands-on clinical experiences with skilled whole-person care professionals to ensure you receive the best training.
- Stay up to date on the latest research in whole-person care: There is a growing body of research on the benefits of whole-person care. By staying up to date on the latest research, such as the work produced by AdventHealth's Center for Whole-Person Research, you can provide the best possible care for your patients.
Launch Your Nursing Career with AdventHealth University
AdventHealth University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution specializing in health care education in a faith-affirming environment. Our mission informs our approach to education, ensuring we lead the industry in transforming the science and practice of whole-person care to develop skilled professionals of uncommon compassion who live the healing values of Christ.
The nursing programs at AdventHealth University are enriched by the hands-on clinical experiences and health care connections of our outstanding faculty, preparing you to provide compassionate and effective whole-person care.
Take the First Step. Start Your Application.
Begin your nursing journey equipped with a whole-person health care mindset. Whether you’re interested in pursuing an associate nursing degree, bachelor’s nursing degree, master’s nursing degree, or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, our nursing school is ready to assist you with your next steps!
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