Imagery and of the Management of Patient Stress, Anxiety and Depression
The use of imagery visualization and imagery therapy as an important part of the professional nurse repertoire has recently begun receiving attention in the Nursing profession as well as in other healing-related professions. As a caregiver the nurse makes use of various professional methods and therapies to promote the well-being of the patient. New approaches and "alternative modalities" of nursing practice and theory are explored in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Dr. Noreen Frisch, in an article entitled, Nursing as a context for alternative/complementary modalities, reviews the incorporation of alternative and complementary models of care for Registered Nurses.
With increasing consumer and professional interest in alternative and complementary care, Registered Nurses (RNs) are incorporating alternative/complementary modalities into their practices. While these modalities give nurses additional tools to meet client needs, many of these modalities are taught and used by non-nursing professionals, leading nurses to question if and under what circumstances these modalities are included in the nursing scope of practice. (Frisch)
Frisch stresses the importance of the incorporation of alternative therapies for Registered Nurses.
With nationwide interest in complementary healthcare, nurses have actively incorporated alternative/integrative modalities into their practice. Registered Nurses regularly attend continuing educational sessions on techniques such as acupressure, guided imagery, humor, massage, meditation, and therapeutic touch/healing touch. (ibid)
The term 'alternative' is relatively new and became popular in the 1960's with the advent of the concept of holistic medicine. Alternative medicine and therapy was considered a new field and was usually not taught at medical schools. However, the situation has changed to a certain degree. While there are still those opposed to the implementation of alternative therapies, a greater number of professionals and critics are becoming aware of the positive aspects of alternative therapies, which often outweigh any negative aspects. Therapies such as imagery therapy are increasingly becoming part of the health care professional's repertoire.
The need to distinguish nursing as a holistic healthcare system is stressed in the following statement:
Many experts and theorists and the American Holistic Nurses Association, have all discussed the need to promote the holistic and caring approach in caring for the ill. These holistic nursing leaders all noted that nursing should be concerned with attending to the patient's holistic needs by fostering a healthy and healing environment that will care more instead of curing. They recommend the use of alternative therapeutic modalities such as therapeutic use of touch, massage (reflexology), aromatherapy (essential oils), nutrition, humor, yoga, meditation, proper lighting, herbs, aquatics, imagery, and music therapies to create the holistic healing environments for our patients. (Mammah)
Alternative therapies and imagery therapy are based on a holistic concept of healthcare. The use of the word 'alternative' became more well-known in the 1990s when holistic medicine became more widely accepted. Nursing is by nature a holistic profession, taking into account the complex and diverse yet interrelated needs of the patient. It is for this reason that alternative therapies are particularly applicable to the nursing profession.
It is because nursing is a holistic discipline that nurses have demonstrated great enthusiasm for the techniques and modalities associated with the field of complementary and alternative care as these techniques assist nurses to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of care. (Frisch)
Uses of Imagery in Healing
One of the most common applications of imagery in nursing is to reduce stress by promoting the creation of a healing environment. When a nursing professional identifies that a patient who is undergoing medical diagnostic procedures (such as an MRI) is showing signs of problem relates to fear "the nursing intervention is 'guided imagery to assist the client with relaxation and distraction during the procedure'. (ibid) The patient may also be put in a more relaxed frame of mind by explaining the basics of the medical procedure by means of imagery therapy. However, these aspects only cover a small degree of the potential for imagery therapy and the possibilities of healing through visualization.
In an article entitled, Trance and suggestion: Timeless interventions and implication for nurses in the new millennium, Rothlyn Zahourek outlines the advantages of imagery therapy.
Nurses increasingly use relaxation, touch, and imagery techniques in their regular practice. When their clients or patients are relaxed or in a state of revelry associated with these interventions, it is useful to phrase suggestions for positive desired outcomes. For example, a person who has developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after years of heavy smoking anxiously awaits a bronchoscopy. You notice that he is having difficulty...
Modeling and Mental Practice There has been much research regarding modeling (also called observational learning) and mental practice, also -- and perhaps more commonly -- known as imagery. Mental practice is also known as mental rehearsal and visuo-motor rehearsal, although these terms are much less commonly used in the literature assessed here. The current research question is: Does modeling, when combined with mental practice and physical practice, have a grater effect than
Participants filled out a Short-Form McGill Questionnaire, an Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire in order to measure their levels of pain over the past few weeks. What the researchers found through statistical analysis was self-management strategies that reduced pain over time were most effective in the group that was exposed to guided imagery techniques. The level of guided imagery therapy was not itself significant, but more of
Buckingham (2009) sets out alternative methods for language acquisition, but finds measurable improvement. Guided imagination seems to improve peripheral factors that support traditional academic achievement which Galyean argued was a core benefit from class practice as early as 1981 (66). On the other hand, Prangsma, van Boxtel, Kanselaar and Kirschner (2009) did not find improvement in history classrooms, but recognize this may derive from the absence of interpersonal prompting
The important point is to think about the comments and see if there is any substance in the comments. When there are some valid points, then action has to be taken. In such cases, negative thinking may provide useful leads. When rational thinking has been used to correct negative thinking, rational positive thoughts may also be prepared. Sometimes useful opportunities are provided through the entire process of thinking. (Thought
Hypnosis in Medicine Proven and Effective: The Continued use of Hypnosis in Modern Western Medicine Alternative medical therapy has become an increasingly discussed topic in the medical profession as more and more clinicians and agencies study and build collective works on the issues surrounding preventative and holistic medical care. It has begun to be acknowledged across the field that traditional Western medicine may have been entirely to focused on the technology and
It is also quite possible that there is a significant "placebo effect" when dealing with GI (or other) treatments. The patients may be truly relaxing, but may also believe that they are managing their pain through breathing and imagery, meaning they are, in fact doing just that (Bresler; Menzies). Evidence-Based Practice Analysis -- Clearly, the use of GI techniques to supplement and help wean patients off pharmaceutical pain management solutions
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