Applying Integrative Nursing Principles to Practice: An Example from Theory to Practice

Nursing theories aim to increase the quality of care while improving nursing practices. Integrative nursing, which constitutes the application area of holistic philosophy, is a complex health care system that evaluates the individual with his environment, supports his innate healing capacity, emphasizes the healing power of nature, advocates person-centered and relationship-based care, includes the most appropriate evidence-based healing therapies, and provides interdisciplinary cooperation. This nursing approach is described as “a way of being-knowing-doing” that improves the health and wellbeing of the individual, family, and society through care and therapeutic relationships. Integrative nursing, whose main framework is formed by 6 principles, can be considered as an application theory based on previous theories. Applying integrative nursing principles into practice and planning nursing care according to these principles can present quality care and provide a theory-based care. In this review, it is aimed to explain how to use integrative nursing principles in the clinic/field, their compatibility with other theories and models, the interventions that can be applied, and what can be done in the measurement of results.