Professional Presence, Healing Models, and Mindfulness in Nursing

Models of Health and Healing

Models of health and healing influence patient attitudes and lifestyle, and also impact health-seeking and healthcare behaviors. Often, the concept of healing a patient holds will come from cultural or religious beliefs. However, healthcare workers also operate within their own models of health and healing, which can conflict with those of their patients. When nurses become more aware of the different models, they can better communicate with patients about healthcare issues.

The rise of empiricism and the triumphs of modern science gave rise to the view that the body itself can be treated as a discrete system. Although the mechanistic view can be traced back as far as Asclepiades, it was never fully accepted as a viable model of health and healing until the 20th century (Curtis & Gaylord, 2004, p. 8). The mechanistic view predominates throughout the Western world, but even then, traditional and religious beliefs often interact with, overlap, or interfere with the view that the physical body can or should be treated without regard for the mind, one's spiritual beliefs, or contextual variables. While some healthcare scenarios certainly do call for a mechanistic view — allowing for quick and effective responses to emergency situations in particular — long-term healthcare and preventive medicine require a more holistic view of what it means to be human. A human being is more than just a collection of cells.

The biopsychosocial model of health and healing is unique in that it does not necessarily take into account the religious, spiritual, or superstitious dimensions of healthcare that affect some models, while also going far beyond the physical body. According to this view, health and well-being are a function of multiple variables interacting at once. The biopsychosocial model is systemic, calling upon the healthcare worker and the patient to understand not just the physical body but also "the psychological, behavioral, and social dimensions that contribute to illness-related events" (Henriques, 2015, p. 1). By setting aside the religious dimension, this model precludes superstition and irrational belief; and yet, as Henriques (2015) also points out, biopsychosocial models do not adequately inform treatment options. The biopsychosocial model does, however, show how factors like worldview, cognitive patterns, attitudes, stress, socioeconomic status, race, and any number of other variables impact both health status and health behaviors.

I am open to a number of different models of health and healing, and I understand that my own beliefs will differ from those of my colleagues and my patients. My attitudes toward health and healing fluctuate, and I seem to use different models depending on the situation. For example, I will treat a patient in an emergency room using the physical body or mechanistic model because the most critical issue is to stabilize the patient and address very specific physical needs. For long-term practice and chronic health concerns, I switch to either a biopsychosocial model or a mind-body-spirit model.

Both the biopsychosocial model and the mind-body-spirit model have deepened my practice and strengthened my ability to communicate with people from different backgrounds. I have become far more respectful of patients who believe in the power of prayer for healing, as well as patients who embrace the tenets of Eastern medicine. As long as I inform them about their choices and options and share evidence-based practice recommendations, their attitudes and beliefs toward health can coexist within a diverse framework of health and healing.

Professional Presence in Nursing Practice

I am learning how to be more mindful in my nursing practice. Especially when working with patients, I have been developing better listening skills that allow me to be more present with them. For example, I do not simply listen to their words while doing other things — even if those other things are related to their medical care. Instead, I watch their body language and listen closely to their voice to detect emotional states. Doing this makes me more mindful of how the patient perceives their care, and whether there is more the healthcare team can do to ease their discomfort or clarify what we are doing. Professional presence, or mindfulness, should be considered a core competency for nurses because of how important it is for reducing medical errors and improving patient outcomes.

The results of my assessment show I am one of the Guardians — stalwart individuals who help uphold the structures, institutions, and laws of society. Guardians also support others to serve as pillars of our collective social institutions.

Personality Preferences and Professional Alignment

Being a Guardian helps me to establish honest, open, and trusting relationships with others. I am especially effective in workplace environments, where I can promote harmony by supporting others while upholding the traditions of the institution.

Being a Guardian means I take punctuality and organization seriously, which aligns well with my professional duties. When I perform activities, I do so meticulously and with great attention to formality and procedural rules.

I have been drawn to careers that have a guardian role: healthcare administration and other positions in which I can serve as a transformational leader who empowers others to reach our shared goals together.

Guardians can clash with iconoclasts and idealists. We prefer to maintain order rather than challenge or upset the status quo. Therefore, we may disagree with those who prefer spontaneity and do not mind chaos or haphazard procedures. Being self-aware and understanding both my own and others' personality types will help me be more mindful when interacting with those who are different from me.