We are more than just the sum of our physical parts which is why I envision healthcare moving toward making use of the kind of facility that encourages the patient who is tired of being passive to be an active participant in their health care protocol.  Health care facilities in which both allopathic and integrative treatments exist simultaneously in order to create the best possible opportunity for wellness is the course we must now navigate if we wish to effectively manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma.

I see integrative medicine as that which offers an opportunity to meld and blend with the majority of our healthcare options in a harmonizing fashion, not in competition with or antagonistic to each other, but working synergistically.  As the allopathic practitioner may prescribe an antibiotic to treat infection, the complementary practitioner would offer the choice of using probiotics and immune stimulating herbs along with the drug thereby supporting all of the patient’s systems rather than just the infection. 

I see the contemporary nurse’s role as one which considers all factors, the physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of an individual as a connected entity.  To that end, it is my wish to have clinics where the coming together of all modalities will increase the effectiveness of the healing arts. 

Submitted by: Kate Kusterbeck, RN, BC, RMP a Holistic Nurse utilizing therapeutic interventions such as cranial sacral massage, reiki, meditation, EFT and hypnotherapy to enable positive health outcomes.  Reach Kate at Willem62284@aol.com