Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
March 1, 2019
William E Rosa, Stephanie Hope, Marianne Matzo
27 citations
Entheogens—medicines that induce experiences of the sacred—show promise in helping patients with advanced serious illness find meaning, reduce fear, and increase joy and acceptance. Clinical trials have yielded impressive preliminary findings on their healing potential, yet nursing literature has not engaged with these advancements. The article introduces scholarly dialogue on integrating entheogens into spiritual and holistic nursing care, provides a brief history of their global use, and includes a case study. Evidence-based knowledge on this sensitive topic is needed to foster understanding, advance scientific knowledge, and create healing environments for patients, nurses, and researchers.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
June 1, 2008
Alison S Witte, Dirk M Van der Wal, H Chrissie Steyn
6 citations
In a rural Appalachian community, interviews with 18 participants revealed that mystical experiences in health care follow a process of initiation, occurrence, maturation, and integration. Essential qualities include sensory-motor perception, interaction with the supernatural or family members, conviction of reality, cognition, dynamic tension, and emotional intensity. Nurses can support patients by listening and providing support, while subjective nursing responses involve tension, intimacy, empathy, awe, autonomic responses, and appreciating the mystical in everyday life. Stressors are linked to these experiences, and patients may benefit from nursing support.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
April 13, 2025
William Brooke, Susanlee Wisotzkey
2 citations
Integrating a mindfulness technique called Brief Intentional Grounding into group therapy on two adult acute inpatient psychiatric units was associated with a significant reduction in workplace violence with injury over six months compared to the previous six months. Patient surveys indicated improvements in emotional regulation, stress management, interpersonal connectivity, and gratitude. Staff reported that practicing the technique improved their own well-being. The findings suggest that this holistic mindfulness modality can enhance patient coping and create a safer work environment for nursing staff.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
March 17, 2025
Hossam Alhawatmeh, Luay Abusaif, Maryam Alharrasi et al.
2 citations
A five-week mHealth-based mindfulness intervention delivered via WhatsApp reduced stress and depression and increased trait mindfulness among registered nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in Jordan. The experimental group of 51 nurses showed significantly lower stress and depression and higher trait mindfulness compared to the control group. Although anxiety scores decreased in the experimental group, the difference between groups was not statistically significant. The findings suggest that such an intervention can serve as a holistic approach to improving psychological well-being in this population.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
December 24, 2025
Donna Balsam, Cindy A. Stein, Alyssa Erikson
1 citation
Integrating mindfulness training into nursing curricula increased students' knowledge of mindfulness from 42% to 91% and regular practice from 41% to 73%. Among 103 students, 96% planned to continue mindfulness practices. Students reported improved stress and anxiety management, emotional awareness, and resilience. Journal reflections showed themes of improved mood, self-care prioritization, and enhanced coping. The intervention supported stress reduction and resilience, aligning with national nursing education competencies and holistic nursing's emphasis on whole-person care. Mindfulness integration may be a valuable, low-cost strategy to enhance nursing education and promote student well-being.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
December 1, 2024
Paige H Cork, Lydia Elliott, Angela Trombley
1 citation
A review of existing research indicates that mindfulness meditation can effectively treat anxiety when practiced for at least 8 weeks. Meditation offers a cost-effective and safe treatment option that can be integrated into the care of patients with anxiety.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
December 1, 2024
Catherine Aquino-Russell, Jennifer I Bonamer, Susan R Hartranft et al.
1 citation
Clinical nurses who practiced Transcendental Meditation during the COVID-19 pandemic reported that the practice fostered present-moment focus, enhanced self-care, and the development of authentic presence with others. The overarching theme identified was that authentic presence represents truth in knowing, being, doing, and becoming. These findings align with Watson's unitary caring science theory and suggest that Transcendental Meditation is a holistic self-care strategy that supports nurse well-being and may help retain nurses in practice by enabling them to care for themselves and, consequently, for others.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
December 1, 2024
Melanie Naone, Christina Ford, Katherine Finn Davis
1 citation
A 10-minute session combining Reiki and guided meditation, called the "Zen Den," reduced perceived stress by 46% and anxiety by 45% among nurses at a Hawaii trauma center, while increasing happiness by 17% and coping ability by 18%. The intervention was delivered by Reiki-certified holistic nurses using a free meditation app and a quiet space, suggesting that existing resources can support workplace well-being.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
April 28, 2026
Shashirani Pangambam, Bidita Khandelwal, Barkha Devi et al.
A nurse-led, digitally supported Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is being tested for feasibility and acceptability in early postmenopausal women. The community-based randomized waitlist-controlled trial will recruit 128 women from rural and urban areas. The eight-week intervention includes mindfulness meditation, mindful breathing, gentle yoga, and attention-based practices delivered digitally, with supervised daily practice. Menopause-related quality of life is the primary outcome; secondary outcomes include mindfulness, sexual function, and program acceptability. The study aims to provide evidence supporting holistic, nonpharmacological care for early postmenopausal women in community settings.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
September 3, 2025
Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia, Felipe Teixeira, Lucas Oliveira Maia
Nursing's Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations can be applied to psychedelic-assisted therapy in hospice and palliative care to guide therapeutic communication. The theory's concepts of person, health, environment, and nursing, along with its phases of the nurse-patient relationship and view of anxiety as a signal of unmet needs, align with the preparation, dosing, and integration phases of psilocybin-assisted therapy. A fictional case study of a patient with advanced cancer illustrates how nurses can support emotional processing, foster insight, and promote personal growth. This integration highlights nursing's contribution to developing safe, ethical, and compassionate psychedelic care for patients facing life-limiting illness.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
July 16, 2025
Ashlee Barnes, Arthur Ko, Jill A Turner
A brief mindfulness intervention—incorporating music, meditation, guided breathing, and positive affirmation—helped graduate nursing students feel more at ease and reported it was worthwhile. In pre- and postintervention surveys, the majority of students in both the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia and Master's Entry Advanced Generalist Nursing programs endorsed these benefits, a sentiment not widely expressed beforehand. The intervention notably improved students' mental status and perceptions.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
June 5, 2025
Betul Bal, Nagihan Koroğlu Kaba
Mindfulness practices did not improve earthquake survivor nursing students' stress-coping behaviors or positive thinking skills. In a two-group nonrandomized study, students who received mindfulness training showed no significant differences from a comparison group on measures of positive thinking skills, staying optimistic, transfer, problem-solving, or avoidance coping.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
April 8, 2026
Siti Nurkholifah, Yurika Fauzia Wardhani, Minarti Minarti et al.
Among 140 adults with chronic kidney disease in Indonesia, a model called Spirituality-Based Self-Transcendence (STS) was tested and validated. Behavioral and external factors strongly predicted spiritual self-transcendence, which in turn strongly predicted psychological well-being. Spiritual self-transcendence also mediated the relationship between those factors and well-being. The model explained 68.6% of the variance in well-being and showed good overall fit. The findings extend Reed's Self-Transcendence Theory by confirming spirituality as a central pathway to psychological well-being in chronic kidney disease, offering a culturally grounded framework for designing spirituality-integrated nursing interventions.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
December 1, 2025
Katherine C Rosa
Compassion, understood as a universal force, is examined through neuroscience, the chakra system as described by clairvoyants, and the nursing theories of Watson, Newman, and Smith. Research over the past two decades indicates that compassion fosters self-development, transformation, and healing. Therapeutic Touch, a holistic therapy based on the human energy field, serves as a practice exemplar of compassion in action.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
June 1, 2023
Sarah Gordon, Roy Brown, Michaela Hogan et al.
An integrative review of seven experimental studies found insufficient evidence to recommend mindfulness as an effective way to manage all fibromyalgia symptoms, but it shows promise for addressing mood- and sleep-related symptoms. Variables most commonly demonstrating improvement from mindfulness were anxiety, depression, sleep-related symptoms, coping, and perceived stress. Mechanisms that may have mediated these outcomes include increases in self-compassion and psychological flexibility. Most interventions were completed over several months in the form of multiple group sessions lasting several hours each.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
June 1, 2023
Shu-Chen Wang, Wen-Yu Hu, Lloyd Lalande et al.
Guided respiration mindfulness therapy (GRMT), a clinical breathwork model, reduced psychological distress in nurses more effectively than a mindfulness-based intervention. Across five weekly sessions, nurses receiving GRMT showed large reductions in anxiety and stress, along with increased mindfulness and self-compassion. The comparison mindfulness intervention produced no significant effect on stress. GRMT offers an effective group intervention for nurses to reduce stress and enhance self-care.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
March 1, 2010
Barbara M Dossey
Florence Nightingale's life and work were driven by a mystical calling she received at age 16, which motivated her to become a practicing mystic in the Western tradition. This spiritual practice was the primary source of her energy and influence. The article examines her motivation and inspiration by drawing parallels between her life and three recognized women mystics. Her leadership of nurses during the Crimean War (1854-1856) at Scutari, Turkey, brought her to world attention as a spiritual beacon. Her key achievement was pioneering the modern administrative role of nurse superintendent, using measurable outcomes supported by irrefutable data, which became the foundation of her life's work.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
September 1, 2005
James W Carson, Francis J Keefe, Thomas R Lynch et al.
An 8-week loving-kindness meditation program reduced pain, anger, and psychological distress in patients with chronic low back pain. In a pilot study, 43 participants were randomly assigned to the meditation program or standard care. Those in the loving-kindness group showed significant improvements in pain and psychological distress at post-treatment and follow-up, while the usual care group showed no changes. Daily data indicated that more practice on a given day was linked to lower pain that day and lower anger the next day. The results suggest the program can be beneficial for managing persistent low back pain.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
June 1, 1998
B M Dossey
Florence Nightingale's life and work were profoundly shaped by a mystical calling she experienced at age 16. Through disciplined practice as a Western mystic, she became an instrument of God's love, which fueled her legendary energy and achievements. To understand how she transformed human consciousness, women's roles, and nursing and public health systems in the mid-19th century, one must grasp this spiritual motivation. The article discusses her life and work within the context of her mystical practice, drawing parallels with three recognized women mystics.