Chapter 15: Complementary Therapies in a High-Tech Health Care Environment: A Pleasing and Powerful Partnership
Overview
- Defines cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- Explains the importance of effective cardiac rehabilitation programs
- Description of hospitals and their high-tech care environments
- Provides explanations of the importance of identifying holistic health care as a common value and belief
- Explanations of differing care types is provided
- Identifies and explains the three levels of care central to a holistic model of care
- Guidance through transforming a high-tech health care environment to introducing various complementary therapies
Description
This chapter demonstrates very successfully that complementary therapies are not just for low-technology nursing environments. It includes the author’s description of her staff’s journey from a situation of demoralisation to the provision of advanced holistic care that includes complementary therapies.
Topics
- Background information
- Cardiovascular disease
- The importance of effective cardiac rehabilitation programs
- Phase 1 programs compromised by hospital environments
- Primary prevention
- High-tech health care environments
- A climate of change in health care
- A career move in a climate of change
- The journey begins
- Identifying holistic health care as a common value and belief
- The importance of environment
- The art and science of nursing
- Scientific care
- Humanistic care
- The three levels of care central to a holistic model of care
- Transforming a high-tech health care environment
- Morale and financial support
- The critical care environment prior to transformation
- Following transformation
- The introduction of complementary therapies
- Music
- Aromatherapy
- Massage
- Research
- Adverse reactions
- Guidelines for the use of complementary therapies
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgments
- References
Speaker / Author
Marcia George
RN, RM, Certificates in Intensive Care and Coronary Care Nursing, Bachelor Applied Science (Nursing), Graduate Diploma Human Relationships (Education), current study, Master of Nursing–Converted to PhD Candidature. Marcia is currently the Nurse Unit Manager of the coronary care unit at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre
Prior to her current role, Marcia held the position of charge nurse of the intensive care and coronary care units at the Preston and Northcote Community Hospital in Victoria between 1982 and 1991. Her nursing experience also includes aged care, gynaecology and maternity nursing, obstetrics and paediatrics and over two decades of critical care nursing. Marcia has always believed that hospital environments, in particular high-tech health care environments, are often viewed as austere and frightening by the general community. She also believes that with a little imagination, and a relatively small budget, a lot can be done to enhance and transform these environments into health care areas that are more comfortable and conducive to both the physical and psychological healing needs of patients and their families. Marcia is married with two adult children and two grandsons. Her interests include music, literature, bush walking and golf.
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