The concept of holism Essay Example

The concept of holism Paper In this essay I intend to look at the concept of holism, why it is important, how it is supported in legislation and codes of practice and the possible benefits to the nurse patient relationship. Due to the word limit the focus is going to be centred around the positive aspects of the approach as apposed to negative critique. In order to explore the importance of considering the patient holistically, it is imperative that we understand what the word/concept holistic means. Weller (2004, p44) describes holism as a comprehensive approach to health care that encompasses and considers the body, mind and spirit considering all actions and interventions for the patient, while recognising the concept of uniqueness, individualism and the influence of internal and external environmental factors on health. This can be condensed to suggesting that we should consider the person as a whole in relation to their individual needs. Dryden (1995, p. 77) cites that Fitz Perls (1951), based his gestalt approach to psychotherapy on premise that we should take an holistic view in relating to a person in order to help a person grow and ascertain a sense of wholeness. Stevenson, Grieves Stein-Parbom (2004, p16) suggests that holism is knowing more about a person rather than deciding on a clinical pathway. It could be argued that the holistic approach is a humanistic approach focussing on growth and individualism/wholeness. We will write a custom essay sample on The concept of holism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The concept of holism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The concept of holism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The NMC recognises the importance of wholeness and holistic care by specifying in the 2008 code of conduct that we should treat people as individuals and respect their dignity. From this statement alone it is possible to see that holistic care requires a positive regard and requires all practitioners to consider all dimensions of a person. Brown and Libberton (2007, p. 99) suggests that an whole person comprises of three dimensions; including physical spiritual and social. We know that these theories and concepts are important as we have seen the merge of the bio-medial, reductionist, model with the psychosocial model to provide a more comprehensive approach to health care and addressing health needs. The holistic approach can support a nurse to provide better care for a patient by understanding a patients, lifestyle, background, social class, culture, religious/spiritual values and social support and use this information to support recovery and sustained health. This level of engagement will allow the nurse to develop a trust relationship with the patient, allowing a therapeutic relationship to take place. Sherwood (1997, p. 40) suggests that therapeutic relationships have an impact on healing patterns that make patients feel better. Sussex and Scourfield (2004, p. 306) suggests that not only to people have needs they have ideas about their needs and these cover many areas of their lives. Therefore the therapeutic relationship will encourage the patient to be involved with their own care, recovery and can empower them to self advocate with involvement. The white paper, valuing people 2001 suggests that as health care providers we should promote choice, independence, rights and inclusion for people with learning disabilities and the underpinning ethos is person centred and holistic care. In 1998 the Department of Health introduced the standard two: person centred care guidance directing the NHS and social care services treat older people as individuals and enable them to make choices about their own care. This would include takings into consideration the individual needs of a person and not just comparative needs or needs relating to illness. The importance of holism is being incorporated in to many care based initiatives to create a more patient focused service. valuingpeople. gov. uk/dynamic/valuingpeople4. jsp When all the perspectives on holistic care are collated, it is possible to see that treating a patient holistically is not only important, but it is paramount from the period of admission, during assessment, care planning and discharge. It should be incorporated in all levels of nursing intervention as it is considered a macro approach by looking at the bigger picture as apposed to the micro problem or health problem. Pearson Vaughan (1994, p. 97) supports the view that holistic care treats the whole person and promoting holistic care as assessment and care planning which occur as an integral part of the relationship can be tailored to individual need. The need for a holistic approach is also reflected in legislations and regulations and these statues require compliance. For example the Human Rights 1998 states that people have the right not to be discriminated against, right to respect for private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion. By considering these rights it could be argued that we would be taking a holistic approach rather than treating patients as a condition; as apposed to an individual. In 2007 and the Mental Health Act was amended to remedy human right incompatibilities and the code practice changed to include recognition for diversity and sets a more holistic approach to patients care. Therefore importance of treating people holistically applies to all patients including marginalised groups. www. opsi. gov. uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga The holistic approach embraces equality diversity and rights avoiding litigation and oppressive care practice. By looking at the person as an individual and engaging with the person we are working ethically, within legal frame works and codes of practice. We are putting the patient at the centre of all decisions made and supporting inclusion and involvement. In conclusion there are many aspects of patient care and the holistic approach is about taking a more rounded view of a person their life and their lifestyle. It is more ethical is more likely to maintain or encourage a positive self concept/image or a balanced equilibrium. We have established that there are many elements and factors make up a persons identity and we should consider these factors to ensure a patient maintains a sense of self and does not become diminished as a result of treatment or care provided. We need to comply with law and codes of practice to ensure that we keep patients and our selves safe. The holistic approach is one that should start at the point of contact to discharge. It is important when identifying need within multi agency working frame works and planning patient care. It helps to maintain independence and can in some cases have an impact on recovery. The holistic approach requires nurses to be more diverse, innovate and analytical, demanding a host of new skills that are required to undertake the role. Many nurses have evolved from working with medical facts and processes to working outside the box and co-coordinating care for individuals with complex needs. The holistic approach underpins how we practice and treat our patients.

The Pantheon essays

The Pantheon essays The Pantheon is the best preserved and one of the most impressive of all Roman buildings. It was constructed in AD 118-128 during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon was a temple to all the Olympic Gods, and the word pantheon is Greek for of all the gods. The Pantheon today is a remake of the original one, which was built by M. Vispanius Agrippa in 27 BC. A fire probably destroyed it. In AD 609, Pope Boniface VIII received the temple as a gift from the emperor of Byzantium. He converted it into a Christian church dedicated to Madonna and the martyrs. This is the reason for which it still stands today, avoiding destruction. The Pantheon is an immense round temple covered by a single dome, fronted by a transitional block and a traditional portico of eight Corinthian columns. The diametre of the hemispherical dome and cylinder is 43.2 metres. If the dome were a full sphere, the curve of the inner surface would just touch the floor; thus, a perfect sphere is contained, a symbolic reference to the temples dedication to all gods (pan (all) plus theos (god)=in the sphere of the heavens). Therefore, the dome has a radius of 26.6 metres and the cylinder has a height of 26.6 metres. The drum and dome are made of solid monolithic concrete, reinforced with bands of vitrified tile. The wall of the drum is 6.1 metres thick, and is hollowed out by a series of alternately rectangular curve niches or recesses. The only window in the building is a central oculus, 9.1 metres in diametre. Because the oculus is open to the sky, the floor is slightly concave with a drain at the center. The huge bronze doors (7 metres high) are the largest Roman doors to survive in place and remain in use. The portico is 33.5 metres in length and 18 metres deep. ...

Discussion - Pandemics and Epidemics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Pandemics and Epidemics - Essay Example Since then, various different types of H1N1 viruses have been causing pandemics across globe. It is caused by virus which spread fast. It can be spread by coughing or sneezing and therefore everyone is at risk. The major methods used for prevention is keeping nose and mouth covered with disinfectant cloth. It is advisable to keep indoor when pandemics occur. Schools are closed and avoid going to public places where one is more at risk. Anti vital drugs are also used during influenza pandemics which help to cope with disease. During pandemics, it is important that you build up your resistance through proper eating and nutritious intake of vitamins. Lots of boiled and filtered water should be taken. Indeed, total mortality rates of pandemics have huge adverse impact on population and health initiatives must be planned for such eventualities so that advance knowledge can restrain its spread to some

Bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Bullying - Essay Example It is agreeable that bullying is practiced mainly in schools and over the internet and this form of harassment comes with adverse negative impact on the youths among other victims. However, the author has stated that the problem can be effectively controlled through several measures. Notably, this article is not only educational and exciting, but also comprehensive. For instance, it has discussed different forms of bullying, their causes and effects. Most of the articles addressing issues on bullying have always failed to discuss how bullying has affected students. The assertions in the article concerning bullying have also been comprehensively substantiated using clear examples. The claim that school bullying has led to enormous number of suicide incidences in United States has been substantiated by using the case of Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide as a result of school bullying. To validate the assumption that cyberbullying can lead to serious psychological and mental problems, the article has provided an example of the death of a thirteen-year-old Megan Meier that came because of a serious psychological problem. Moreover, the arguments involve more than one principle. The opinions in the article are convincing because they are explicit, logical and have been presented using a plain language. Reading through the article, there are no technical words that can cause problems to the readers. The use of technical words always affects the readability and understanding of the main ideas being presented. The clarity of the first paragraph clearly brings the message that the article is about bullying. Arguably, with the use of complex words, it would not be easy for the readers to understand the main arguments by going through the first paragraph. The article is explicit because the readers can easily recognize the

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay Example for Free

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity is the difference by race, age, ethnicity and culture. Diversity is valued because the it is what makes everyone and everything unique. If we were all the same this would be a boring world we live in with no room for growth. With diversity everyone has something to offer society in their own unique way. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is judging another culture or way of living solely based off your own culture or way of living. This can be detrimental to society because it is border line racism. To judge someone because they do not believe what you believe or live the way you live is wrong. It is almost like not giving someone a job because they dont believe what you believe. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is when Mexicans leave Mexico to settle in American illegally and immigration when someone from another country leaves their country to become a permanent resident of America. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? Groups of people are identified by race, gender, age, religion, social status i.e. Rich, middle class and poor. Why do people label and group other people? People label and group other people out of habit and in order to give them a distant identity in society. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. Culture is your way of life. Your beliefs on how you think you should live and conduct yourself. Culture is not limited to race or ethnic background because several groups of people regardless of race can be from the same culture. Source for all answers: Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth Ed. Richard T. Schaefer. Merrill Prentice Hall. 2012

Discussing the Greatness of Jay Gatsby Essay -- The Great Gatsby F. Sc

The first thing you see when you pick up the novel is the title. Fitzgerald chose the title ‘The Great Gatsby’ for his novel. This could lead us to believe that he personally believed his character to be great. However, this was not his only title for the book. The original title of the novel was: ‘Trimalchio in West Egg.’ Perhaps Fitzgerald changed the title as his story developed as he came to realise Gatsby’s greatness. However, this could be used to argue the other way, perhaps this original title relates more to the party throwing Gatsby and the hedonistic Jazz Age, suggesting that Gatsby isn’t great. Gatsby, as a rich man, has many beautiful possessions. This can be noticed in his ‘gorgeous’ car which had ‘a labyrinth of wind-shields that mirrored a dozen suns’. Nick discovers that at one of Gatsby’s parties a woman named Lucille tore her dress, and within a week she ‘got a package from Croirier’s with a new evening gown in it.’ This portrays Gatsby’s greatness through his generosity, and the impression is given that it is wonderful to be involved in Gatsby’s world. As The Great Gatsby is narrated by Nick, we see everything through Nick’s eyes. Nick tells us towards the beginning that there was something ‘gorgeous’ about Gatsby which set him apart from everyone else. We as the reader feel attracted to Gatsby like Nick is. When Nick receives the invitation to Gatsby’s party, Nick says that the invitation was signed in a ‘majestic hand’, this makes Gatsby sound elegant. The beginning of chapter three, immediately gives the reader the impression of a fantastical atmosphere. Gatsby’s gardens are described as ‘blue’, a somewhat magical colour for gardens to be. Nick tells us that ‘men and girls came like moths among the w... ...proves to cost him his life. Having a dream to that extent is not exactly great. There is evidence for both sides of this argument. Personally I believe that Fitzgerald did not wish to prove that Gatsby was corrupt, instead he wanted to relate Gatsby’s dream to the American Dream, showing that it has been corrupt by people such as Tom and Daisy who pursue money for money’s sake. The original dream has been betrayed. It is no longer the ‘fresh green breast of the new world’, instead it has become corrupt, and no longer true. Only Gatsby holds a true dream, which is what, in my opinion, makes him so great. He cannot be blamed for the failure of his dream, because his dream was true, and gave him a purpose. It failed because of the corruption of Daisy, and her utterly careless nature. I believe that, as the title of the novel suggests, that Gatsby is truly great.

Aquinas’ and St. Anselm’s Proofs of the Existence of God

It is generally understood that people that are nonbelievers in God would never believe in the philosophies of the believers with regard to His existence. Nevertheless, there have been a number of important philosophers who have sought to prove the existence of the Almighty by thought alone. According to these philosophers, the presence of God may be understood by reason. Throughout the ages of humanity, believers have claimed to have felt the presence of God. All the same, there is no room for personal proofs in the philosophy of religion. St. Thomas Aquinas was a believer in God, who proposed five ways to know God. The first way of proving God’s existence, according to the philosopher, is by means of observing motion; that is, everything in movement throughout the universe should prove to us that there is a Prime Mover of all things. This way of proving God’s existence is similar to the argument of the creationists who assert that everything that we observe must have a Creator, just as all things that are man-made have originators. On a similar note, the second way of knowing God according to St. Thomas Aquinas is by understanding that all effects have causes; and so, there must be a First Cause of everything. The third way of proving the existence of God is by observing that everything in the universe is â€Å"possible to be and not to be;† so therefore, there must be an Essential Existence without which the existence and nonexistence of other things are meaningless (The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1920). This proof is intricately tied to the earlier proofs, including the current argument of the creationists. St. Thomas Aquinas describes it thus: The third way is taken from possibility and necessity, and runs thus. We find in nature things that are possible to be and not to be, since they are found to be generated, and to orrupt, and consequently, they are possible to be and not to be. But it is impossible for these always to exist, for that which is possible not to be at some time is not. Therefore, if everything is possible not to be, then at one time there could have been nothing in existence. Now if this were true, even now there would be nothing in existence, because that which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing. Therefore, if at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist; and thus ven now nothing would be in existence — which is absurd. Therefore, not all beings are merely possible, but there must exist something the existence of which is necessary†¦ This all men speak of as God (The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas). St. Thomas Aquinas also writes that everything that is necessary must have been made necessary by something else. However, there must be something that is necessary in and of itself. Furthermore, this entity of necessity must cause other entities to believe in its necessity. This is the meaning of God, according to the philosopher (The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas). The fourth proof proffered by St. Thomas Aquinas is similar to Plato’s concept of Forms. The philosopher believes that there is a ranking in place throughout the universe (â€Å"Thomas Aquinas and the Five Ways,† 2000). One person may be better than the others. Given that we compare attributes of people and things to rank them reveals that there must be â€Å"something which is truest, something best, something noblest and, consequently, something which is uttermost being;† in short, something that is Supreme in comparison with the rest (The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas). The fifth way of proving the existence of God is exactly the same as the argument of creationists in our times. St. Thomas Aquinas discussed intelligent design with the philosophy that everything in the universe serves a special, intelligent purpose that has been designed by the Creator. This proof is based on the assumption that everything around us is essentially unintelligent – except God, of course (The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas). In fact, all five proofs of God’s existence proffered by St. Thomas Aquinas may be said to revolve around the intelligent design argument. St. Anselm was another believer like St. Thomas Aquinas who proved the existence of God by reason alone. Yet, the ontological argument proffered by St. Anselm is the simplest. Instead of five proofs of God’s existence, St. Anselm offered only one, that is, God is that beyond which there is no greatness that we can conceive of (â€Å"St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument,† 2008). But, St. Anselm’s argument also rests on five logical points. The following is the argument with its corollaries: (1) God is that than which no greater can be conceived; 2) If God is that than which no greater can be conceived then there is nothing greater than God that can be imagined; Therefore: (3) There is nothing greater than God that can be imagined; (4) If God does not exist then there is something greater than God that can be imagined. ; Therefore: (5) God exists (â€Å"St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument†). The gist of the above argument is the very definition of God’s existence, according to St. Anselm. This definition – â€Å"God is that than which no greater can be conceived† – is different from all proofs of St. Thomas Aquinas (â€Å"St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument†). Moreover, it is a reasonable proof, similar to St. Thomas Aquinas’ statements about God’s existence. After all, it is easy to suppose that God must be that beyond which we can conceive of no greatness. Besides, nobody in the history of humanity has ever claimed to be greater than God. Even if someone were to claim that he or she is greater than God, it would be impossible for the majority of humans to believe in the claim, seeing that God would not compete with the claimer as in a debate. With our limited perceptions, we are unable to see God, and neither could we imagine something or somebody that must be greater than God. If we cannot find anything that is greater than God, the Almighty must be Real, according to St. Anselm. Even so, the essential argument of the philosopher does not answer the beliefs of the atheists that perhaps there is no greatness in the universe, as everything is equal. Similarly, St. Thomas Aquinas’ arguments are refuted by the atheists who proffer proofs of the evolution theory of Charles Darwin to contradict the existence of God. According to the atheists, the proofs of St. Thomas Aquinas and the ontological argument of St. Anselm could be refuted because they are based on basic beliefs of the people rather than universal facts. The truth that St. Thomas Aquinas believes in the First Cause of everything means nothing for the disbelievers in God, who might claim that there is nothing to precede anything except in the evolutionary cycle that everything must go through, that is, things evolve one from another without a Prime Mover or First Cause. As a matter of fact, there is no argument to bridge the gap between the claims of believers and disbelievers in God. For as long as we know the difference between truth and falsehood, there would be arguments. The claims of each group are refuted by those of the other. It may very well be that these arguments and refutations would continue for as long as there is humanity on our planet. Seeing that God cannot be seen, and neither does He support the believing philosophers by speaking out aloud to all the rest that these philosophers are correct in their belief systems – it is possible to refute the godly thoughts of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anselm until the end of time. Conversely, those who believe in their philosophies and do not doubt could be ones that have felt the presence of God beyond reason. In fact, believers in God may suppose that it is impossible to know God by reason alone. Given that truth cannot be turned into falsehood by argument alone, there must be a singular truth about the existence of God nevertheless. What is the truth? – In the discipline of philosophy, it is the fact that everything in the universe is not known to be confined to the realm of reason. For the believing philosophers, therefore, God is a Reason beyond reason.