Ruth McCaffery, Debra J. Thomas, & Ann Orth Kinzelman. (May/June 2009). The effects of lavender and rosemary essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3):88-93.

Both lavender and rosemary essential oils reduced test taking anxiety. Lavender however also was found to be too relaxing and decreased focus and recall. Rosemary in contrast cleared the mind and increased focus and concentration. This study was funded through a grant from Nature's Way and administered through AHNA. View the abstract.

Andrea Butje, Elizabeth Repede, & Mona M. Shattell, (June 2008). Healing scents: An overview of clinical aromatherapy for emotional distress, Journal of Psychosocial and Mental Health Nursing, 46(10).

Marlaine Smith & Loraine Kyle. (2008). Holistic foundations of aromatherapy for nursing. Holistic Nursing Practice, 22(1), 3-10.
Note: Has a continuing education test attached. View the abstract.

Communication

Gayle Kipnis & Cynthia Becket. (August 2009). Collaborative communication: Integrating SBAR to improve quality/patient safety outcomes. Journal of Healthcare Quality, 31 (5), 19-28, This study describes use of the Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation (SBAR) collaborative communication process in a pediatrics/perinatal services department of a hospital in Arizona.

Energy Therapy

Anne Vitale. (May/June 2009). Nurses lived experience of reiki for self care. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3), 129-145. A phenomelogical study of the experience of Reiki by nurses who use it for self care. The Colaizzi method of analysis is used for data analysis. A useful appendix for presenting the emergent themes is attached to the article and a CNE test is available at the end of the article. This study was presented at the AHNA 2009 conference as part of a research panel of paper presentations. View the abstract.

Carolyn Magdelen Monroe. (June 2009). The effects of therapeutic touch on pain. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 27(2), 85-92.
A useful comprehensive review of studies from 1997-2007. Seven studies were found and only 5 were of enough merit to be reviewed. Four of those found statistically significant results in the positive direction and the technique caused no unwanted side effects. View the abstract. Full text available free to AHNA members - learn more.

David Feinstein. (2008). Energy psychology: A review of the preliminary evidence. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 45 (2), 199-213. Feinstein's article reviews the preliminary research evidence on a growing technique in mental health. More than 2 dozen energy psychology techniques now are practiced but most well know are EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), TFT (Thought field therapy) and TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique). The results that are anticipated with these techniques include: immediate reduction of elevated affect and hyperarousal, extinguishing conditioned responses, addressing complex psychological problems, and promoting optimal functioning or peak performance. Feinstein summarizes 23 studies. Additional research references on Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine can be found at www.tapintofreedom.com/research/other.html

Mary Anne Hanley. (2008). Therapeutic Touch with preterm infants: Composing a treatment. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 4, 249-258.

Diane W. Wardell, Diana Rintala, Gabriel Tan, (2008). Case study descriptions of Healing Touch with veteran’s experiencing chronic neuropathic pain from spinal cord injury. Explore: The journal of science and healing, 4(3) 187-196.

Anne T. Vitale. (2009). Nurses’ lived experience of Reiki for self care. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3), 129-145

Anne T. Vitale. (2007). An integrative review of Reiki touch therapy research. Holistic Nursing Practice, 21(4), 167-179.

Anne T. Vitale & O’Connor, P.A (2006). The effect of Reiki on pain and anxiety in women with abdominal hysterectomies: A quasi-experimental pilot study. Holistic Nursing Practice, 20(6), 263-271

Anne T. Vitale. (2006). The use of selected energy touch modalities as supportive nursing interventions: Are we there yet? Holistic Nursing Practice, 20(4), 191-196.


Joan Engebretson & Diane Wardell. (2007), Energy based modalities. Nursing Clinic of North America, 42, 243–259.

Diane Wardell, Rintala, D. Tan, G., & Duan, Z. (2006). Pilot study of Healing Touch and progressive relaxation for chronic neuropathic pain in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 24(4), 231-240.

Diane Wardell & Weymouth, K. (2004). Review of studies of Healing Touch. Journal of Nursing Scholarship: Image, 36(2), 147-154.

Joan Engebretson & Diane Wardell. (2002). Experience of a reiki session. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine. 8,(2), 48-53.

Diane Wardell. (2001). Spirituality of Healing Touch participants. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 19(1), p. 71-86.

Diane Wardell, D.W., & Engebretson, J. (2001). Biological correlates of Reiki Touch Healing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33(4), 439-445.

Diane Wardell, D.W. (2000). The trauma release technique: How it is taught and experienced in Healing Touch. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 6(1), 20-27.

Diane Wardell, D.W. & Mentgen, J. (1999). Healing touch: An energy based approach to healing. Imprint, Feb/Mar, 34, 35, 51.lternative and Complementary Therapies, 6(1), 20-27.

Evidence-Based Practice

Christina Jackson. (2010). Evidence-Based practice: Push back from holistic perspectives. Holistic Nursing Practice, 24(3), 120-124.
Jackson looks at standard methods of EBP to evaluate holistic healing modalities and offers practical advice for others wanting to provide credible evidence for their practice.

Healing Environments

Barbara Nabreski Schmock, Diane Breckenridge, & Karen Benedict. (2009). Effects of sacred space environment on surgical patient outcomes: A pilot study. International Journal for Human Caring, 13(1), 49-59.

Healing Theory and Conceptual Understandings

Rothlyn Zahourek. (May 2009). Healing: Through the lens of intentionality. International Journal of Healing and Caring, 9(2).
The study may be accessed on line from the IJHC on line at www.IJHC.org.
Understanding and studying healing is one of our challenges as healthcare providers. This study is a presentation of a secondary analysis of data collected to study intentionality in the context of healing. Six healers and six healees, five of each who participated as dyads, described their experiences and their concepts of healing. The theory, Intentionality: the Matrix for Healing (IMH), is presented, along with a more expanded definition of healing as an awareness of shift and a transformative process.

Rorry Zahourek & Dorothy Larkin. (2009). Consciousness, intentionality and community: Unitary perspectives and research. Nursing Science Quarterly. 22(1), 15-22. The paper reviews research and theoretical perspectives of the relationship of consciousness and intentionality. Nursing research is reviewed and then these concepts are related to a non-local concept of community. View the abstract.

Valerie Eschiti, Roxanne Struthers & Beverly Patchell. (Summer 2008). The experience of being an Anishinabe man healer: Ancient healing in a modern world. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 15(2), 70-5.

Glenda Christiaen, JoAnn Abegglen, & Alanna Rowley. (2008). Nursing students' perceptions of a holistic nursing conference: Empowerment, self care, and application to practice. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 26(2), 139-146.
Full text available free to AHNA members.

Diane Wardell, D.W. (2001). Unfolding transpersonal caring-healing through story. The International Journal for Human Caring. 6(1), 18-24.

Health Promotion and Management Strategies

Deborah McElligott, Sarah Siemers, Lily Thomas, & Nina Kohn. (August 2009). Health promotion: Is there a healthy nurse in the house?. Applied Nursing Research, 22(3), 211-15.
Results indicated nurses are stressed & not exercising. A holistic approach to management was recommended.

Valerie Lincoln & Mary Johnson. (May/June 2009) Staff nurses perceptions of a healing environment in holistic nursing practice. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3), 183-190. This study investigated staff nurses perceptions of the characteristics of the healing environment that supported their practice of holistic nursing. Candid discussions resulted from their multiple method qualitative interview process. The themes identified as the essence of healing environments included context, connections and calling. Additional characteristics were identified within each category.

Leighsa Sharoff. (2008). Exploring nurses' perceived benefits of utilizing holistic modalities for self and clients. Holistic Nursing Practice, 22(1), 15-25.

Anne T. Vitale. (2009). Nurses’ lived experience of Reiki for self care. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3), 129-145

Hypnosis

Dorothy Larkin. (2007). Ericksonian hypnosis in chronic care support groups: A rogerian exploration of power and self-defined health-promoting goals<. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20(4), 357-369. This paper received the first annual best paper award in Nursing Science Quarterly. Dr. Larkin is an association professor at the College of New Rochelle Masters Program in Holistic Nursing and a clinical nurse specialist is psychiatric and mental health nursing. She is a consultant and a trainer for the conflict resolution and peer mediation program at Daniel Webster Elementary School in New Rochelle, NY.

Metaphor

Leighsa Sharoff. (2007). Metaphors: A creative expression of holistic nursing. Spirituality and Health International, 8, 9-19.

Leighsa Sharoff. (2009). The power of metaphors: Images of holistic nurses. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(5), 267-275.

Leighsa Sharoff. (2009). Expressiveness and creativeness: Metaphorical images of nursing. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(4) ,312-317.

Mind-Body Therapy

Diane Wardell, Rintala, D. Tan, G., & Duan, Z. (2006). Pilot study of Healing Touch and progressive relaxation for chronic neuropathic pain in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24(4), 231-240.

Oncology

Jennifer I. Rheingans. (2008). Pediatric oncology nurses' management of patients' symptoms. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 25(6), 303-311.

Jennifer I. Rheingans. (2008). Relationship between pediatric oncology nurses' management of patients' symptoms and job satisfaction. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 25(6), 312-322
Jennifer received a Charlotte McGuire Scholarship in 2007 to help with the cost of a research study for her dissertation, these articles came out of that research.

Valeri Eschiti. (December 2008). A model of CAM use in women with female-specific cancers. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 46(12)

Valeri Eschiti. (May/June 2008). Complementary and alternative modalities used by women with female-specific cancers. Holistic Nursing Practice. 22(3):127-38

Deng, G.E., Frenkel, M. Cohen, L., Cassileth, B.R., Abrams, D.I., Capodice, J.L., Courenya, K.S. Dryden, T., Hanser, S., Kumar, N., Lariola, D., Diane W. Wardell, & Sagar, S. (2009). Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: Complementary therapies and botanicals. Journal of the Society of Integrative Oncology, 7(3), 85-120.

Pain Management

Jeffery Dusek, Michael Finch, Gregory Plotnikoff, & Lori Knutson. (March, 2010). The impact of integrative medicine on pain management in a tertiary care hospital. Journal of Patient Safety, 6(1), 48-51. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0b013e3181d10ad5

This article evaluated the effectiveness of an inpatient integrative medicine consult service for pain management in 6 settings across an entire tertiary care hospital. Results were extremely positive and the authors suggest that future research using the electronic health record can provide further quantifiable data to show reduction in total costs, pain medication usage, and adverse events. AHNA member Lori Knutson RN, BS-HN played an integral part in this study.

Diane W. Wardell, Diana Rintala, Gabriel Tan, (2008). Case study descriptions of Healing Touch with veteran’s experiencing chronic neuropathic pain from spinal cord injury. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 4(3) 187-196.

Diane Wardell,  Diana Rintala, Gabriel Tan, & Duan, Z. (2006). Pilot study of Healing Touch and progressive relaxation for chronic neuropathic pain in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal or Holistic Nursing.24(4), 231-240.

Spirituality

Mary Jo Kreitzer, Cynthia Gross, On-among Waleekhachonloet, Mary Ann Reilly-Sprobg, & Marcia Byrd. (March 2009). A brief serenity scale: A psychometric analysis of a measure of spirituality and well being. Journal of Holsitic Nursing, 27(1), 7-16.

Diane Wardell, D. & Joan Engebretson. (2006). Taxonomy of spiritual experiences. Journal of Religion and Health. 45(2), 215-233.

Stress Management

Ruth McCaffery, Debra J. Thomas, & Ann Orth Kinzelman. (May/June 2009). The effects of lavender and rosemary essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(3), 88-93. Both lavender and rosemary essential oils reduced test taking anxiety. Lavender however also was found to be too relaxing and decreased focus and recall. Rosemary in contrast cleared the mind and increased focus and concentration. This study was funded through a grant from Nature's Way and administered through AHNA. View the abstract.

Leighsa Sharoff. (2008). Exploring nurses' perceived benefits of utilizing holistic modalities for self and clients. Holistic Nursing Practice, 22(1), 15-24.

Carol Baldwin et al. (2008). Influence of intestinal stoma on spiritual quality of life in U.S. veterans. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 26(3), 185-194.
Note: Commentary by Joan Engebretson. Full text available free to AHNA members

Women’s Health

Valeri Eschiti. (December 2008). Grandmother breastfeeding support: What mothers need and want. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 35(4), 329-35.

Valeri Eschiti. (December 2008). A model of CAM use in women with female-specific cancers. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 46(12).

Valeri Eschiti. (May/June 2008). Complementary and alternative modalities used by women with female-specific cancers. Holistic Nursing Practice, 22(3):127-38

If you are an AHNA member with published research in holistic nursing, please contact Amber at amber@ahna.org to have your research listed on this page. Please include the citation in the style above, a URL to the abstract or full text article, a short description and suggested category or categories.