The Self as Healer: Reflections From a Nurse’s Journey

Complementary and alternative medicine is rapidly making its way into the mainstream through the addition of a variety of therapies in existing settings. Yet, in national surveys, the public seems interested not only in alternative therapies, but also in a more holistic form of healthcare. Nurses have a critical role to play in creating such a healthcare system. Recovering their own identity as healers is a first step in that direction. This article explores the topic of the self as healer through four key questions: what is healing, who or what is the locus of healing, how can nurses facilitate healing, and how does one become a healer?