Ayurvedic Medicine: Ancient Foundations of Health Care
Ayurvedic medicine is a highly sophisticated religion, philosophy, and system of medicine that has been practiced in India for over 2,500 years. As with other forms of complementary and alternative medicine, it focuses on the whole individual and one… Read more »
Characteristics of Spirituality
While theorists and researchers have yet to agree on a single, universally accepted theory or definition of spirituality, few would deny its existence or impact on health and healing. In the past, spirituality was synonymous with religion. Although s… Read more »
Child Abuse, Prevention, and Mandatory Reporting
Child abuse is a national and international issue that has serious long-term consequences for the child and the community. A social problem that has existed for thousands of years, child abuse in all its forms first became a topic of national interes… Read more »
Childbirth And Culture – Practices, Beliefs, And Traditions
An intimate and complex experience, childbirth reflects a woman’s biology as well as the social context in which delivery takes place. The experience of every woman is unique to her and deeply personal because of the culture in which she gives birth… Read more »
Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare
With the advent of astounding scientific and technological advances in every area of health care, today’s health care environment is increasingly fraught with complex patient care issues. Health care professionals often have varying views on legal an… Read more »
Creating Healing Relationships
A healing relationship involves two major elements: a relationship with the self (intrapersonal relationship) and relationships with others (interpersonal relationships). Each is critical to creating a healing environment for an organization’s staff… Read more »
Cultural Competence in Health Care
The culturally diverse health care populations in the United States provide health care professionals with tremendous opportunities to bridge cultural gaps, incorporate new treatments and disease prevention strategies into their practices, and learn… Read more »
Cultural Considerations at the End of Life
At the end of life, attitudes about the loss of a loved one profoundly affect how both a dying person and his or her family and friends address the dying and the grieving processes. Diverse populations in the United States provide health-care profess… Read more »
Curanderismo and Central and South American Healing Practices
With a long and complex history, curanderismo, or indigenous medicine, is the broad healing tradition found in Mexico and Mexican American communities throughout the United States. For many Hispanics, conventional medicine has not been effective or w… Read more »
Emerging Global Infectious Diseases
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) present an ever-present threat to the health and livelihood of individuals, families, communities, and countries all over the world. The greatest burden of EIDs lies in developing countries and with infants and chi… Read more »
Global Healing Systems – An Introduction
Global healing traditions have a long and rich history that dates back thousands of years. Reflecting the specific and unique characteristics of the culture, history, philosophy, and availability of resources in different parts of the world, these tr… Read more »
Health and the Human Spirit
Spirituality plays an important role in health and healing. This course will explore the forms and expressions of spirituality; discuss culture and its relationship to spirituality; examine the relationship between spirituality and aging; explain spi… Read more »
Holistic and Integrative Health: An Introduction
The past several decades have brought tremendous growth in the numbers of health care facilities and providers offering integrative health care training and services. Consumers in the United States use these complementary and alternative medicine (CA… Read more »
Hunger and Malnutrition
Almost 800 million people in the world are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Most of these individuals live in developing countries. However, there are millions more in developed countries who go to bed each night hungry. Children are the most… Read more »
Integrative Therapies for Cancer Pain Management
Many advances have been made in the treatment of cancer during the last several decades and yet effective cancer pain management remains an overwhelming issue for more than 80% of patients. Today, there are numerous options for cancer pain management… Read more »
Iowa Child Abuse, Prevention, and Mandatory Reporting
Child abuse is a national and international issue that has serious long-term consequences for the child and the community. A social problem that has existed for thousands of years, child abuse in all its forms first became a topic of national interes… Read more »
Legal Issues in Healthcare
Health care professionals today are acutely aware of the need to understand the legal environment in which they practice. Ever-shrinking resources, shorter lengths of stay, high-acuity patients, availability of more complex information, diverse patie… Read more »
Meditation for Health and Energy
Meditation is a mind-body practice with many methods and variations that are all grounded in the silence and stillness of present-moment awareness. The regular practice of meditation not only calms and helps focus the mind, it is also an effective pr… Read more »
Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is eating with intention and attention. It is much more than simply eating slowly, without distraction. Mindful eating encompasses the entire process of eating and is a healthy and pleasurable activity for satisfying hunger. When we ea… Read more »
Mindful Movement: Walking, Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong
Mindful movement, such as walking, yoga, tai chi, and qigong can be accomplished almost anywhere, nearly everyone can do it, and minimal equipment is needed to participate. Mindful movement is an effective way to reduce stress but there are many othe… Read more »
Mindful Relationships
Mindful relationships involve being present and paying attention to our relationships with ourselves and within ourselves. Mindfulness, a growing and expanding field, is the ability to focus without judgment and the ability to be present in the momen… Read more »
Mindfulness and Happiness
New research is demonstrating that mindfulness might be the key to happiness and health. Everyone wants to be happy and healthy. Mindful happiness is not found in external things but within ourselves. By focusing on becoming happier, we will not only… Read more »
Mindfulness Meditation
Widely accepted, used, and studied within mainstream medicine, mindfulness meditation involves paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. The health benefits of mindfulness meditation include improvements in dealing wit… Read more »
Native North American Healing
Millions of Native North Americans utilize traditional healing traditions as a way of maintaining balance and wholeness. To the traditional Native American, all aspects of life are intimately connected to good health and well-being, and life is a sac… Read more »
Pain Interventions and Treatments
Effective pain management begins with effective pain assessment. Only after an assessment is completed can the healthcare provider determine how to best manage a client’s pain. Barriers to pain management that can lead to the undertreatment of pain n… Read more »
Pain Management in Special Populations – Children and the Elderly
Helping pediatric and geriatric populations manage their pain requires special consideration regarding the types of medications and strategies chosen, the route through which medications are delivered, and specific comorbidities or metabolic issues t… Read more »
Pain Management in Special Populations – Surgery, Cancer, and HIV
Health care professionals often face difficult challenges when working with clients who have undergone surgery or who have cancer or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These clients encounter unique problems with their health conditions, especially… Read more »
Pain Management in the Adult – Acute and Chronic Pain
Acute and chronic pain in the adult client have different causes, methods of diagnoses, and interventions. Effective health care providers understand these differences when they assess and manage their clients’ pain.
Pain Theory and Assessment Principles
Pain is a universal phenomenon. Pain is the fifth vital sign and its assessment is crucial in the comprehensive care of every patient. Pain is a subjective concept and is whatever the client says it is. Pain is experienced across all age groups, acro… Read more »
Pain Treatment at the End of Life
Regardless of the cause, pain is a common symptom in clients who are near death. Healthcare providers must understand the tremendous implications of pain and pain symptoms and prioritize the assessment and optimal treatment of pain in clients near th… Read more »
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
When individuals experience a traumatic, terrifying, life-changing event or series of events, with a real or threatened risk of death, they may experience a variety of symptoms known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although this condition h… Read more »
Psychology of Stress
Events, people, and circumstances fill our normal daily lives–along with a certain amount of stress. Some of us experience psychological effects from this stress, while others seem to be unaffected or even thrive when challenged. Why do we react diff… Read more »
Sacred Spaces, Healing Places
Modern nursing was founded on the concepts of healing environments. Florence Nightingale was one of the first to realize the importance of nature, light, noise, and sensory stimulation in healing. Today, it is well known that healing environments emp… Read more »
Sexual Assault, Gender Violence, and Rape
Rape or sexual assault can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. These forms of sexual violence are among the most underreported crimes in both the United States and the world due to the inten… Read more »
Social Media and Healthcare
Social media has many characteristics and has become part of the very fabric of today’s society. It can be immediate, irreverent, and incredibly powerful. The use of social media in all areas of life, especially healthcare, is growing exponentially…. Read more »
South African Healing Traditions
Traditional healing has existed in South Africa for thousands of years and is utilized by the majority of individuals who live in the region. Drawing from a primarily oral tradition, traditional African healers come from many cultures, speak many div… Read more »
Spiritual Assessment and Spiritual Care
Spiritual care is an important and necessary part of appropriate patient care, yet many health care professionals feel ill equipped to provide it to their clients. When people experience a spiritual crisis and need spiritual care, they may choose to… Read more »
Spiritual Care of the Dying
The dying experience is unique for each individual. For many individuals, death is not an end to life. It is simply a passage to another dimension, sometimes called heaven, the spiritual world, another plane of existence, or nirvana. As knowledge of… Read more »
Spiritual Dimensions of Aging
Aging presents unique challenges to an individual’s spiritual growth, development, and expression. This course explores the relationship between loss, hope, love, sexuality, religion, health, and spirituality in the older adult. In addition, it discu… Read more »
Spiritual Rituals
The spiritual rituals of prayer, meditation, guided imagery, gratitude, spending time in nature, dancing, storytelling, and art can all help people connect to their inner being, to others, and to a divine spirit or Sacred Source. A part of spiritual… Read more »
Spirituality and the Grieving Process
Dealing with loss and grief is one of the great spiritual challenges of life. Individuals experience grief differently, depending on their inner resources, support, and relationships. Grief is subjective and can have psychological, social, and spirit… Read more »
Spirituality, Culture, and Health
Healthcare professionals and spiritual care providers face many challenges in becoming prepared to administer holistic, respectful, and culturally and spiritually competent care for their patients and clients. Understanding the relationship between s… Read more »
Spirituality, Religion, and Children
Spirituality is a dynamic, evolving process that begins in infancy and continues throughout life. The spiritual development in children is especially important because of its impact on the rest of the child’s life.
Spirituality, Religion, and Health
Religion and spirituality are distinct yet related concepts. An individual’s spirituality, religious beliefs, and religious practices can all have a profound effect on his or her health. The major spiritual elements and rituals of Buddhism, Hinduism,… Read more »
Spirituality, The Health Care Professional, and the Spiritual Care Provider
The relationship between healthcare provider and client can provide both with a sense of strength, healing, inner peace, and an interconnectedness that gives meaning to the relationship.
Starting Your Own Business in Holistic and Integrative Health: Preparing for the Change
Starting your own business in health and healing provides many exciting options for creating a way to live and work that allows you to express your deepest core values and explore your own health and well-being more fully. Determining how to start yo… Read more »
The Biofield (Human Energy Field): Foundation for Energy Medicine
There is increasing scientific evidence that human beings are comprised of an energetic system that is highly integrated with the physical body, emotions, and the spiritual aspect of individuals. Because of this evidence, the health care community is… Read more »
The Politics of Food
Food production and politics are intimately connected. Decisions about what foods are produced, how they are produced, how food and animals are treated, as well as the personal connections related to food are complex and challenging. Food subsidies,… Read more »
Tickborne Diseases
In the United States, ticks carry many different pathogens that can cause a variety of human diseases. One of the most common of these is Lyme disease. Many tickborne diseases are challenging to diagnose because their symptoms imitate other common il… Read more »
Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Ancient Approach to Healing
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the oldest professional continuously practiced medicine in the world, with origins dating back more than 2,500 years. TCM emphasizes the holistic view of the human being and encompasses many different treatment m… Read more »