Minimizing preoperative anxiety with alternative caring-healing therapies.

This article reviews holistic caring-healing therapies that may decrease preoperative anxiety for the surgical patient, based on the philosophy and science of caring developed by Jean Watson, RN, PhD, FAAN. Dr Watson reveals a new paradigm emerging in health care that blends the compassion and caring of nursing in harmony with the curative therapies of medicine. Hypnosis, aromatherapy, music, guided imagery, and massage are integrative caring-healing therapies that may minimize preoperative anxiety. Alternative therapies offer a high-touch balance when integrated with high-tech conventional surgical treatments.