4^th World Congress on
Psychiatry & Mental Health Nursing

Biography:

Rauni Prittinen King, RN is Co-founder and Executive Director of Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc. at Pacific Pearl La Jolla; Founder and President of Holistic and Integrative Medicine Resources Inc. and Miraglo Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization. A Board Member of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM), she has 20+ years’ experience in critical care nursing, has a Masters in Integrative Health, is Certified in Holistic Nursing, Hypnosis and Interior Design, and is a Certified Healing Touch® Practitioner and Instructor. She coordinated Healing Touch® workshops at Scripps Hospitals since 1993 been the lead instructor for the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System.  Creator of Healing Touch® of Finland in 1998, she has taught Healing Touch® in Europe, India and throughout North America.  She served four years as Board Member of Healing Beyond Borders and was Co-founder and former Director of Programs and Planning at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, California.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The human biofield, or energy system, has been studied in various cultures for thousand of years. The Greek physician Hippocrates noted an energy transfer, “a force flow from people’s hands as they touched.”  This energy vibration is now known as Chi in China, Prana in India, Ki in Japan and Mana in Polynesia. In the USA, biofield therapies are increasingly used in hospitals and other healthcare settings. The challenges faced by biofield practitioners include a lack of a common scientific definition and educational standard of practice. In addition, research and scientifically validated devices and standardized mechanisms are needed.

Methodology and Theoretical Orientation: Multiple studies will be presented on the efficacy of biofield therapies as an adaptive and integral component of enhanced healing; particularly in relation to stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. A focus on Healing Touch (HT), a form of hands-on healing program founded by former Navy nurse Janet Mentgen RN, will be highlighted. HT is a continuing medical education program offered by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). HT has been practiced in the USA since 1990 and is taught around the world.

Findings: The human biofield is composed of chakras and meridians. Therapies that balance and treat the energy system promote relaxation, decrease pain, and accelerate healing. Using ones’ intent and compassion, a practitioner can balance energy as a tool for healing. Energy/vibrational medicine seeks to understand this energetic matrix and how it facilitates healing.

Conclusion & Significance: Our bodies are always looking to return to their natural state of health or homeostasis. For the body to function at its absolute peak performance, all parts of the body--mind, spirit and emotions--must be in balance. Treating the human biofield is an overlooked aspect of conventional medicine that is embedded in all other global healing traditions. Healing Touch have been shown to improve stress, anxiety and PTSD along with other medical conditions.

Reviewing the evidence and training, nurses/clinicians will result in incorporating these important therapies in patient care