Volunteers needed for expanding therapy program
Print
Paula Novak, RN, performs Healing Touch therapy on a patient.
Jean Miller has been volunteering at Backus for five years, offering Healing Touch sessions for patients in the hospital.
“When I started a lot of folks didn’t know what it was or understand it, but that has changed. Now more people know about complementary therapies,” said Mrs. Miller, who talks to the clinical charge nurse about who might be a good candidate and then offers the 10-15 minute comfort care sessions at the patient’s bedside.
Healing Touch is an energy therapy in which practitioners consciously use their hands to support and facilitate physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and healing. It is used in conjunction with traditional therapies.
“Patients often say their pain has lessened and they feel more relaxed, even after a short session,” she said.
In order to meet the growing requests and referrals for complementary therapies, Backus Hospital’s Center for Healthcare Integration (CHI) is seeking to expand the current num- ber of therapists who volunteer. The therapies provided to inpatients are Healing Touch, Massage, Reflexology and Reiki.
“I would definitely recommend it to others, either people who work in these modalities or people who are interested in becoming certified and volunteering,” Mrs. Miller said. In the past year, more than 2,000 patients
received 15-minute “comfort care” sessions at the bedside, said Amy Dunion, RN, LMT, CHI Coordinator. She said several years of data obtained from patients demonstrate an average 4.0-4.5 point reduction in anxiety and a 3.5-4 point reduction in pain following the brief sessions, on a scale of zero to 10.
Ongoing national studies suggest that these approaches contribute to improved patient experience and enhanced clinical outcomes.
CHI also offers healing modalities to oncology outpatients undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy in a dedicated complementary care room in Radiation Therapy to diminish the effects of cancer treatments and enhance recovery. There also is a Pet Therapy program.
“The feedback from our patients has been overwhelmingly positive and the therapists have also benefited greatly, often describing their experience as a privilege,” Ms. Dunion said. “We have a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers and welcome the addition of interested therapists.”
Monthly schedules are flexible, so therapists can volunteer once a week or a few hours a month. All therapists are mentored until they are comfortable with the protocol for treating patients and familiar with the hospital setting.