Imagery: A Safe, Simple Practice Available to All Nurses

By Betsy Todd, MPH, RN, CIC, AJN clinical editor

by Ramon Peco/via Flickr by Ramon Peco/via Flickr

“In our quest to keep up with the latest medical advances, we often forget that the healing art of imagery is available to each of us,” writes nurse practitioner Laurie Kubes in this month’s AJN. In “Imagery for Self-Healing and Integrative Nursing Practice,” Kubes explores some of the evidence supporting this technique and illustrates how it can enhance both patient care and our own self-care.

Imagery builds upon the quiet reassurance and support that we routinely provide to patients in our efforts to make them comfortable and relaxed. The more deliberate practice of imagery engages the power of imagination for deeper relaxation and a potentially more healing experience. And all we need in order to do this, as Kubes notes, is an open mind, a basic knowledge of the practice, and time to dedicate to it.
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