Imagery: A Safe, Simple Practice Available to All Nurses

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.

This tool is available to us in any setting, and a lot can be accomplished in just a few minutes. Even when one is just beginning to work with imagery, it’s hard to be ineffective if you take the time to focus calmly and completely. Simple and self-directed, imagery can be a powerful tool for enhanced nursing practice and better self-care. Read about it here.