I remember it clearly.  It was Spring of 2011, and I was in my second semester of nursing school, fully immersed in the often overwhelming culture and language of mainstream healthcare.  I had joined the American Holistic Nurses Association as a student member to stay connected to my dream of integrating a holistic approach in healthcare, amidst my rigorous, pressure-filled nursing school experience.  As a massage therapist for 10 years with a passion for holistic nutrition, I was determined to integrate my knowledge and skills into my nursing path- whatever that may be.  I remember what inspired me to follow my calling into the area of Nurse Coaching.  I came across an article in AHNA’s Beginnings Journal, and it led me down the path of finding INCA’s Integrative Nurse Coach Certificate Program (INCCP).  I even cut out the article’s title and put it on a ‘dream board’ of images I collected for a Women’s Retreat last Fall.  I have now completed my BSN, received my nursing license in Texas, and will be completing the INCCP this May!  I am so grateful to have stayed connected to my passion, and my belief in holistic healthcare has led me to this incredible community of visionary nurses!  I hope you will be as inspired by this article as I still am.  We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.    -Brandie Trigger, RN, BSN, LMT
Click here to view the article, written by the founders of INCA and the INCCP, Barbara Dossey and Susan Luck.
Posted with permission from Beginnings, Vol. 31, No. 1 pp 8-10 , Copyright 2011, American Holistic Nurses Association
3 Responses
It is wonderful to see how the focus of care has changed from sick management to prevention, wellness and health promotion. Nurses have always done this, but somehow we lost our focus. I am glad to see this movement, “Integrative” care. Integrative care is the way for nurses to bring all that they know into their practice. Better health outcomes and a significant decrease in overall health care spending are on the horizon. March on Nurses!
I have been a Registered Nurse for a long time, and have worn many “hats” in my journey. It was during the early days of my Case Management practice that I began to explore the idea of incorporating Holistic Health practices and therapies into western medicine treatment plans. The idea at the time was always “the elephant in the room” so to speak. I could not be more excited about the Integrative Nurse Coach program and hope to apply in the near future.
Peggy Anne Rockey, R.N.
Becoming a nurse coach seems to be the next logical growth avenue for the nursing profession. It’s an opportunity for nurses to gain more control over the type of healthcare services they deliver, having more impact on their patients; and an opportunity to create their own businesses — providing more control over their own health, time, and financial well-being.