Top Ten Ways the College of Nursing Fosters Well-Being through Caring

 

Throughout its 38 year history, the College has embraced beliefs about the wholeness and mutuality of human-environment relationships; well-being, subjectively defined as creating and living what matters most in life; and Caring as a powerful instrument in facilitating well-being. The philosophy of the College elaborates these shared perspectives that guide the tripartite mission of teaching, research and service/practice.

 

Reflecting on this theme, we arrived at the Top Ten Ways the College of Nursing Fosters Well-Being through Caring.

 

#10 – Endorsement by the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC). The College of Nursing is the only school of nursing in the U.S. with all four of its academic programs endorsed by the organization that validates programs and certifies nurses in holistic nursing. This endorsement means that students in this College are eligible to sit for their certification exams at the time of their graduation.

 

#9 – Faculty and students learn and practice mindfulness practices. Activist and meditation teacher Barbara Schmidt presented to faculty on her best-selling book, The Practice, a spiritually-based approach to living peacefully and creating peace in organizations and the world. Approximately 25 faculty are certified HeartMath® trainers. The program has been offered to healthcare workers, University students, faculty and staff, and groups within the community.

 

#8 – The Initiative for Intentional Well-Being supports community wellness programs. The College’s Initiative for Intentional Well-being offers programs that support health and wellness. Yoga classes are scheduled in the College building three times per week, and classes in tai chi, mindfulness meditation, therapeutic touch and Reiki have been offered.

 

#7 – The College community of students, faculty and staff embrace self-care for health and well-being. Caring for self is fully integrated within the curricula. From the beginning of their educational journey, students learn the importance of self-care and tools to facilitate this process. In 2017, the College of Nursing was an early supporter of the American Nurses Association initiative, Healthy Nurse: Healthy Nation.

 

#6 – The College has one of the few Advanced Holistic Nursing programs in the country. This master’s concentration is accessible online and enrolls students from across the country. In 2016, the concentration incorporated the requirements for integrative nurse coaching.

 

#5– The College building is designed as a caring-healing environment. In 2005, Dean Anne Boykin and donor Christine E. Lynn joined to create a magnificent home for the College of Nursing designed as an environment to nurture well-being and self-care. The feng-shui designed building was one of the first educational buildings in the country to be LEED certified. A labyrinth, healing garden and meditation room provide opportunities for reflection.

 

#4 – Faculty conduct research in holistic health. Faculty research advances Caring Science in holistic health. The Sharon Raddock Distinguished Professorship in Holistic Nursing supports faculty with a research program in holistic nursing. Examples of faculty research in holistic nursing include: garden walking for elders with depression, chair yoga for osteoarthritis pain for elders, mindfulness for decreasing stress in pre-school children, and more.

 

#3 – Faculty practices and centers provide services to the community that support well-being. The College of Nursing’s two community-based nurse-led centers, The Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center (MWC) and the FAU College of Nursing Community Health Center (CHC), deliver services that support well-being through caring. The MWC offers yoga, art, dance and exercise, and the CHC features an integrated approach to mind-body healthcare and focuses on creating healthy communities.

 

#2 – Faculty are recognized experts in caring science and holistic well-being. Faculty are known for their scholarship in advancing caring science and holistic nursing. Some are certified as advanced holistic nurses, and health and wellness coaches. The Anne Boykin Institute for the Advancement of Caring in Nursing sponsors annual summer academies. Faculty are leaders in the International Association of Human Caring, the American Holistic Nurses Association and the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation, and serve on the editorial boards and review panels for the Journal of Holistic Nursing and the International Journal for Human Caring.

 

#1 – It’s who we are! Organizations are defined by their mission, vision and values. The College’s mission is to advance the science, art and study of caring, and to live caring values in our community. We are known for our dedication to this mission. The College definition of nursing is “nurturing the wholeness of person-environment through caring” and serves as a beacon, distinguishing our uniqueness.