Jaelynne Loft
Azusa Pacific University
Holistic Care: An Integrative Approach to a Sense of Calling
Holistic nursing is defined as “all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal…This practice recognizes the totality of the human being - the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, social/cultural, relationship, context, and environment” (Thornton, 2015). The philosophy of care I want to utilize in my practice of nursing is one that encompasses a holistic approach to care and identifies each patient as unique and created in the image of God. This paper will discuss the passage of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35) as it relates to my sense of calling to holistic care and the framework that guides my ongoing practice, worldview and vocation.
The Good Samaritan
“In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by …show more content…
As a future nurse, I want to embrace the mindset of the Samaritan. I do not want to “cross the street” but take charge and help all those who need my help. I hope to embody a heart that views all people as my neighbor and to serve them without hesitancy. The Samaritan did not just carry the man to the inn but ensured that he was taken care of holistically. He showed the man compassion, he provided care for the man, he arranged for the man’s future, and promised he would return to see the man. The qualities that the Samaritan displayed are much like those of a nurse. Nurses open their arms to their patients, provide care, give discharge instruction for future care, and remain by their patients’ sides- returning when they say they will return- regardless of what social class they are, what ethnicity they are, or overall, who the person might