In her essay “Quantum Nursing,” Dr. Leah Curtain explores a new approach to nursing. Curtain bases her essay on the work of Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard trained neuroanatomist. Taylor suffered a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain in 1996 rendering her immobilized. It took eight years for Taylor to recover all her functions, after that she wrote a book on her experiences with nurses and physicians. When she did not have all the functions, Taylor said experienced people as, “concentrated packages of energy. Doctors and nurses were massive conglomerations of powerful beams of energy that came and went” (p. 171). Curtain argues that physicians and nurses radiate energy, and the kind of energy they emit affects the patient’s wellbeing.
Curtain’s essay is brief and informational; Curtain wants to educate physicians and nurses on the practice of ‘quantum nursing.’ She uses various studies to explore the topic and support her argument. Curtain refers to the definition of human beings by quantum physicist David Bohm who describes human beings as intentionally directed energy. While nurses and physicians bring knowledge, skills, and assistance to a patient’s bedside, they also bring something more. They bring their person – which is a conglomeration of powerful beams of energy and focus (or lack thereof).
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The two factors that are discussed in-depth in the essay are energy and its implications for nursing. According to Curtain (2013, p. 171), a nurse’s energy makes a difference between competent and superb nursing. In her book, Jill Bolte Taylor adds that while she could not understand what the nurses and physicians were saying, their facial expressions and body movement spoke volume. Some nurses were very attentive to her needs, they made eye contact and tried talking to her even when they knew she could not hear or understand in an effort to provide a healing space. Some nurses were oblivious to her needs; they did not make an effort to make contact, and they scared her.
Quantum physics also discusses the therapeutic nature of human relationships. Curtain refers to the work of Hildegard Peplau which state that nurses can use themselves as therapeutic tools (Curtain, 2013, p.171). Human beings are energy beings designed to perceive and translate energy into neural code. Almost every aspect of human life is energy, consciousness is probably energy, and human beings are made of energy at the most fundamental level. According to Curtain, when human beings look at something, they have the power to change it given how they look at it and their intentions. The intentions of the nurses can be written on their faces, even when they do not say anything to the patient. Nurses with good intentions make an effort while those who do not care for the patient radiate negative energy.
Curtain also cites the teachings of religious leaders on one body, one spirit, and one people. The religious teaching can be interpreted to mean that an individual’s actions and energy affect others. When nurses care and love their patients, their patients will feel the energy and feel safe with the nurse. When people are dying, they are losing their energy and physicians, nurses, and family members bring them life energy, focus, and intention. Once we understand the value of our human energy, attention, and intention, we can consciously practice quantum nursing.
Curtain’s essay is educational. The topic of quantum nursing is a nursing topic that is yet to be explored thoroughly, and in her brief essay, Curtain manages to explain the subject well while using many examples. The way Curtain uses examples from books, physics, religion, and real-life examples show her mastery of the topic and her argument. Curtain is arguing that nurses should educate themselves on quantum nursing so that they can consciously practice it. Nurses who do not know what quantum nursing is will continue interacting with patients without making an effort to radiate the right energy that will make patients feel safe.
However, the essay is quite brief, and it does not explore all the issues regarding quantum nursing. Also, Curtain refers to the work of many other individuals on the issue such that the essay appears like a summary of other people’s opinion on the matter. The article would make more sense to nurses if the author explored the subject in detail and gave specific recommendations to nurses. The essay introduces the concept, but it fails to offer practical suggestions on how nurses can implement it.
In conclusion, Curtain’s essay on quantum nursing is informational. Nurses radiate energy that can make the patient feel safe or feel insecure. Nurses should realize that they play a more significant role that transcends their knowledge, skills, and assistance. The way they approach the patients, their intentions, and energy can rub off on their patients; thus nurses should be mindful of their intentions and energy to avoid transferring their negative energy to patients.
Reference
Curtin, L. (2013). Quantum nursing. Beginnings (American Holistic Nurses' Association) , 33 (2), 6-9.
