Nov. 22, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Augustana University.

In October, Augustana University’s nursing program within its School of Health Professions officially was endorsed as a Holistic Nursing Program by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation — the only college in South Dakota and one of only 17 schools in the nation to earn this endorsement.

Two Augustana nursing program instructors guided the program through the extensive application process that included faculty development sessions — a process that began in the spring of 2020 and never lost steam throughout the height of the pandemic. Associate professor of nursing Sister Dr. Vicky Larson brought up the possibility of Augustana becoming a holistic nursing program after learning about it from the university she was at before coming to Sioux Falls.

She worked closely alongside assistant professor of nursing Dr. Ranae (Julin) Aukerman, Augustana class of 1981, who previously earned her doctorate in integrative health and healing, to make it happen.

“We find that the idea of holistic care of integrative health and care really has become a very important part of our conversation,” said Aukerman, who teaches research and evidence-based practice at Augustana. “Students are looking for it. And I think that it will be a wonderful marriage not only for our students but the university and the region.”

A holistic approach to nursing means providing support that looks at the whole person, not just their illness or condition — taking into consideration a person’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.

“Holistic nursing does invite us to be open to using multiple integrative health modalities, but it starts first and foremost with relationships. That really is what helps with the healing aspect of getting well. And it’s not just what you do for the patient, but it’s how we are present with the patient,” said Larson, who serves on the leadership council of Sisters in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in addition to teaching pathophysiology and foundations of nursing practice at Augustana. “How do we set intention?”

It’s those relationships between the caregivers and patients that made Larson interested in becoming a nurse in the first place. Larson remembers being drawn to the profession as a nursing assistant at a nursing home in Minnesota when she was just 16 years old.

“When people are in their most vulnerable moments, their hearts kind of open up. They trust nurses with a lot of really powerful stories,” Larson said. “Sometimes, they remind me of my own humanness and my own vulnerability, and that we journey together.

“There are some seasoned nurses who would ask, ‘Well, isn’t holistic nursing just plain good old-fashioned nursing?’ Some would say in the wake of all the technology and all the treatment focus, that in some ways, we lost our way just a little bit.”

But after taking a deep look to ensure the values and standards of a Holistic Nursing Program aligned with the university’s, Augustana’s nursing program didn’t have to make a lot of changes in what it was doing already. A holistic perspective on nursing has long been a part of Augustana’s liberal arts tradition, but the program needed to make sure the American Holistic Nurses Association’s Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice was articulated properly in the curriculum.

Not only does the endorsement provide external validation for the university, but also its graduates are prepared to practice holistic nursing. Within two years of graduation, Augustana students are able to take an exam to become certified in holistic nursing. Ordinarily, students would have to complete 50 hours of continuing education as well as a year of clinical experience before taking the exam. 

“Right now, a nurse won’t have any difficulty getting a job, but this does set up a mark of distinction,” Aukerman said. “In some metropolitan areas, a nurse who has additional certification gets a little extra pay differential, so that’s definitely a bonus for the students. Also, having certification makes a person a bit more competitive for choice jobs.”

For information about the Augustana nursing program, visit augie.edu/nursing.