PERCEPTION OF HOLISTIC NURSING CARE AMONG NURSES WORKING IN A SELECTED HOSPITAL AT PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, KERALA.

Holistic nursing give prime importance to health promotion by treating the individual as a whole and it identifies and implements the principles and techniques of holistic care into day today life and clinical practice. It motivates the nurse to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality and reflection in their lives. The present study was conducted to assess the perception of holistic nursing care among nurses and the factors influencing it. A qualitative phenomenological design was used for the study. The study participants (10) were selected using purposive sampling technique. The data was collected by in-depth interview by using an open ended semi structured interview schedule. The results revealed that 80% of participants were having a clear concept of holistic nursing care. The results also revealed that certain factors influence the provision of holistic nursing care ? workload, professional experiences, mismatch between clinical performance and academic learning, personality traits and input sources. It was concluded that integration of holistic nursing care ? mind, body and spirit is essential to improve the quality of nursing care.