Paper: Nurses' Lived Experience of Reiki for Self-Care: Enhancing Health Through Daily Stress Management (40th Biennial Convention (October 31st- November 4th, 2009))

Monday, November 2, 2009: 2:00 PM

Anne T. Vitale, PhD, RN
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

Learning Objective 1: examine self-Reiki usefulness for the healthier management of stress during the nurses' workday

Learning Objective 2: discuss results of a phenomenological study exploring the use of Reiki in self-care

Nursing is a stressful profession, a characteristic now exacerbated by a host of work-related factors, including a sustained global nursing shortage. Research findings indicate that burnout contributes to nursing dissatisfaction, issues that affect the health of nurses worldwide. Recent reports by the of have called for innovative strategies to enable nurses to manage stress effectively, to minimize this vulnerability, yet self-care strategies are not well-defined. Over the last several years, there is growing global interest among nurses in the energy-based healing practice of Reiki touch therapy. Although the inquiry about Reiki usefulness in patient care has begun, there is little research to support its usefulness as a self-care practice.

The purpose of this study was to examine nurses’ experiences of using Reiki for self-care. The study employed phenomenological methods to answer the question, “What is the lived experience of nurses who practice Reiki for self-care?” In-person interviews were conducted with eleven nurses who met specific criteria of Reiki training and self-care use. An interview guide with open-ended questions was developed to examine the experiences of nurses who are Reiki practitioners, to understand their perceptions of Reiki use in self-care, and to appreciate its meaning for them. The Colaizzi method was utilized for data analysis, and independent decision trail audits were completed to promote study rigor and trustworthiness of results.

Thematic categories emerged around the topics of Reiki and daily stress management, self-healing, spirituality and interconnectedness of self and others. Implications of the study findings to decrease nurses’ vulnerability for workplace stress and improve health are discussed. Potential application of findings to Jean Watson’s transpersonal caring theory and self-care modalities, located within a caring science framework are explored. Recommendations for future research are offered.

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