title: Holistic nurses' stories of personal healing.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to uncover the nature, experiences, and meaning of personal healing for holistic nurses through their narrative accounts. The study employed a qualitative descriptive design with methods of narrative and story inquiry. Participants were nurse attendees at an American Holistic Nurses' Association conference who volunteered for the study. They were invited to share a story about healing self or another. Twenty-five stories were collected; seven were about personal healing, and these are the focus of this analysis. Data were analyzed using a hybrid approach from narrative and story inquiry methods. Eleven themes were clustered under three story segments. The themes within the Call to the Healing Encounter are the following: recognition of the need to resolve a personal or health crisis, knowledge of or engagement in self-care practices, and reliance on intuitive knowing. Themes under the Experience of Healing are the following: connections; profound sensations, perceptions, and events; awareness of the reciprocal nature of healing; inner resolution: forgiveness, awakening, and acceptance; use of multiple holistic approaches; and witnessing manifestations of healing. The themes for Insights are the following: gratitude and appreciation and ongoing journey. A metastory synthesizing the themes is presented, and findings are related to existing literature on healing.
authors: Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA. marlaine.smith@fau.edu
authors: Marlaine C
authors: MC
authors: Smith
authors: Rothlyn
authors: R
authors: Zahourek
authors: Mary Enzman
authors: ME
authors: Hines
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Engebretson
authors: Diane Wind
authors: DW
authors: Wardell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D005260:Female; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D020377:Self Efficacy; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: emergent epistemologies; healing; holistic; nurses (basic)