Educational
DIMENSION
Nurses at Community
Hospital Welcome Guided
Imagery Tool
Robert Miller, ND
When patients suffer from pain, anxiety, or other concerns, nurses play an impor-
tant role in easing their fears. This article describes the use of guided imagery to
help patients. Key word: Imagery (Owens Cur Can Nuss 2003:22(5}225-226)
‘When patients experience pain, anxiety, or other con-
cerns, nurses have a new drug-free tool that helps
patients while making the nurses more productive. The
nurses puts a special compact dise (CD) in the patient's
personal CD player provided by the facility, gently
places the earphones over the patient's ears, and turns it
fon. After listening to a CD from The Tranquilities Hos-
pital Series—a unique blend of Guided Imagery, scrip-
tural reassurance, environmental sounds, and tradi-
tional hymns—patients are often less anxious, less
worrisome, and much more comfortable.
Guided imagery is a selt-help
technique many people find |
effective in reducing mental |
|
|— and physical stress.
Guided Imagery is a self-help technique many peo-
ple find effective in reducing mental and physical stress.
By following suggestions on the CD, patients will create
their own mental images to help them relax and learn
to manage mental and emotional stress or specific phys-
ical symptoms. For example, a wall symbolizes fear. On
the CD, a soothing voice guides the individual to pic-
ture images of the wall being knocked down by ocean
waves, symbolizing the individual's ability to free hisn-
selffherself of fears and anxieties. Environmental
sounds, sophisticatedly recorded with binaural micro-
phones, dramatically involve the listener in the visual
imagery. This imagery is quite effective in helping
patients deal with the many fears often experienced in a
hospital setting.
Nurses can use these nightly. Patients may be appre-
hensive as to whether the CDs will be beneficial though
the apprehension typically fades. “I can see the anxiety
disappear and the calm set in right before my very
eyes,” said Kathleen Shirk, RN, night supervisor at
Ephrata Community Hospital
‘The Tranguilities series has been effective in a wide
variety of settings, including:
relief of pain or anxiety before surgery,
helping patients relax and sleep during evening hours,
easing pain after surgery, and
lowering blood pressure and helping patients adjust
to breathing/respiratory devices.
Shirk said the effect of the CDs is most dramatic in
helping ease the anxiety of “sundowners” and other
aging-related conditions.
The elderly respond very well to the CDs. Some
older patients become very confused, particularly after
surgery. It is beyond their control and is an after effect
Of the anesthesia. “Playing the CDs works better than
September/October 2003 225>"
Clergy from various denominations
reviewed the materials and endorsed
the project.
sedation in easing their confusion,” said one nurse for
28 years. “The CDs are more effective than a lot of
medications.” When Alzheimer’s patients become con-
fused, haldol was the medication of choice. Now nurses
place a CD and hold the patient’s hand. This can be a
better resort than medication.
(One nursing assistant said the CDs made her job
less stressful. She said it was particularly helpful with
ne patient who frequently pressed the patient call but-
ton. This assistant suggested the woman listen to a
Tranquilities CD. “In 15 minutes, she had rang six
times. She was told that we could not come in each time
because she may be taking us away from others. The
CDs worked.” The patient did not ring the call button
for 90 minutes,
‘A chaplain at the hospital helped develop the Guided
Imagery series. It was inspired, in part, by her own
encounter with breast cancer, She believed the develop-
ment of a Guided Imagery series would help patients
access their faith resources and be an effective healing
tool. The chaplain recognized the importance of integrat-
ing faith and spirituality into the healing process and
sought to facilitate this through the use of the CDs.
Clergy from various denominations reviewed the
materials and enthusiastically endorsed the project.
Each CD has three tracks; each track is approximately
20 minutes in length. The first track includes scripture
and an invitation of God's presence. Track two omits
these references, Track three includes only the music
and environmental sounds for relaxation. The CDs do
more than just help patients to relax. They empower
them to invite a reassuring and comforting presence into
their own personal struggle. The principles this series
utilizes, such as timeless Scripture readings and tradi-
tional hymns, are very powerful. The hymns are tunes
that resonate with many people—ones that virtually
everyone, regardless of faith, will recognize.
Each bedside contains a packet of CDs and a CD
player with earphones. Each of the CDs focuses on a
major component of a successful hospital stay. These
226 Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing @® Vol. 22/No. 5
‘+ Health & Healing, which enables patients to picture
and imagine themselves well, actually “jumpstarting”
the healing process;
‘* Comfort, which focuses on easing pain through soft
gentle masic and the sounds of the rain;
* Peaceful Rest, which helps patients overcome the hos-
pital setting and to find rest;
* Courage, which empowers patients to address fears
often associated with illness,
* injury, or surgery; and
* Serenity, which helps patients overcome their worries.
ae ee
Serenity helps patients overcome |
their worries.
All of the staff nurses, therapists, social workers,
managers, and housekeeping personnel are trained in
the use of the CDs. When a patient is restless or con-
cerned, staff or physicians often suggest that the patient
listen to the CDs. Typically, the patient is more calm
and relaxed (and often asleep) after listening to one of
the Tranquilities CDs in the privacy of his/her own hos:
pital bed. The staff and the hospital are beneficiaries as
well. Because many studies have shown that relaxed
patients heal faster, che hospital may generate financial
savings. The staff are able to direct more of their atten-
tion where it is needed because anxious or stressed
patients turn to the CDs for help instead of calling on
them. The nurses feel more productive because they
view the CDs as an extension of their care.
The hospital is supportive because the CDs are
more cost-effective than any drug and reflect very posi-
tively on the hospital's image. For example, a recent
‘group of surveyors were extremely impressed with the
program because it reflected positively on the hospital's
‘commitment to quality care and demonstrated an added
dimension of that care.
More information about the Tranguilities Series for
Hospital Patients is available online at www.tranquili-
sies.com, via e-mail at info@tranquilities.com, or by
contacting the author at (717) 721-6998.
‘ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Miller, ND is President, Gilead Enterprises, Inc
‘Address correspondence to: Robert Miller, ND, Tree of Life Health, 247
'N.Reading Road, Rohrata, PA 17522 (e-mail: mille@tolhealth.com).Copyright of Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing is the property of Springhouse
Corporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted
to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users
may print, download, or email articles for individual use.