ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Spotlight: Christine Ross, BSN, RN
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Nurse takes a holistic approach to life and work in Alaska
A holistic approach to care goes beyond what you see in front of you, involving awareness of the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of a person or situation. #Healthynurse Christine Ross, RN, BSN, has always made an effort to look beneath the surface and see what’s really happening, both with herself and her patients.
This desire to dig deeper is probably why Christine went back to school to earn a master’s degree in counseling, 10 years into her nursing career. She considers herself a compassionate person, drawn to helping people — it’s why she got into nursing. But psychology has always fascinated Christine, too. After years of nursing experience, she realized she could put it all together as part of a holistic approach to health.
“We must look at the whole person,” says Christine. “The spiritual, mental, and physical aspects are all critical. I believe that to provide the best care to others and ourselves, we have to treat the whole person.”
A Nurse on a Mission
When Christine first went into nursing, her plan was to become a psych nurse practitioner. But after almost a decade of nursing, she embarked on a 5-month healthcare-focused mission trip that changed her trajectory. The faith-based program involved 3 months of personal development and training in Hawaii before joining the ships division in Papua New Guinea.
“We sailed around to different islands, doing cataract surgeries on the ship and setting up clinics where people could receive health education and preventive care,” Christine says. Once she returned, she felt a strong pull toward counseling. “My experience helped me realize that I wanted to help people heal on a deeper level.”
Leaning on Her Unique Experience
Christine has spent her life in Alaska. Her career there — as a counselor and a nurse working in med-surg, telemetry, and oncology — enabled her to work with people from all walks of life with varying health conditions, including:
- Alaska Natives
- Older adults in assisted living
- People in psychiatric crisis
- Veterans and active-duty military
- Women dealing with mental health issues and substance use
In working with such a diverse patient population, Christine learned how to individualize care beyond what is written in the chart. And after dealing with some personal health issues a couple of years ago, Christine realized the true value of holistic health.
Since then, she’s taken a particular interest in integrative care. To understand how to provide nursing care with an intentional spiritual focus, Christine participated in a faith community nursing training. Her varied experience and the knowledge she picked up along the way put Christine in a unique position to help those around her.
“I have a deep understanding of mental health and can identify what may be going on with someone,” Christine says. “In counseling, we learn a lot about applying coping skills. I use that approach in nursing, encouraging people to identify coping skills for themselves. In addition to your treatment or medication, what else can you do to help yourself?”
Seeing a Bigger Picture
Christine hopes to become a nurse coach. She learned about the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy (INCA) as she began exploring holistic nursing. She sees value in guiding other nurses to realize their potential.
“I never heard of nurse coaching until recently,” Christine says. “But looking back, there have been times in my career when a nurse coach would have been helpful to me. My skill set is a good fit for coaching and would allow me to empower people toward health and wholeness.”
Christine has recently taken nurse coaching courses focused on nutrition and functional medicine, and her enthusiasm for holistic health and coaching continues to grow.
“I’ve been researching, listening to podcasts, reading articles, and taking courses with INCA,” Christine says. “I’m passionate about personal growth and development and want to expand my knowledge base. But my end goal is to become a coach.”
Taking a Holistic Approach at Home
Christine knows that her hard work and endeavors to help others won’t get her far unless she also takes care of herself. Self-care during the long, dark hours of winter in Alaska can be challenging, and Christine says that she sees many people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Christine says, “I notice even in myself that when we get into spring and start seeing more daylight, I feel like I’m waking up. It’s like I’m coming alive.”
She knows that prioritizing her mental and physical health is critical and can’t only happen in the spring and summer. When Christine can be outside, she walks, hikes, and enjoys snow sports. When she can’t be outside, she goes to fitness classes or uses online videos. She practices Pilates and yoga to nourish her mental health.
“There are always ways to stay fit and healthy, mentally, physically, and spiritually,” Christine says. “Find something you enjoy doing and connect with the community whenever possible.”
Christine Ross, RN, BSN, works as a nurse in the inpatient behavioral health unit and psychiatric emergency department at Mat Su Regional Hospital in Palmer, Alaska.
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Blog #healthynurse Spotlight
12/03/2024 4:15pm CST
The #healthynurse Spotlight is a shout out to nurses who are making changes in their lives to improve their health and wellness. You can too! Read their stories for inspiration here.
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