J Nurse Midwifery. 1999 May-Jun; 44(3): 310-9.

Alternative healing in nurse-midwifery practice.

Raisler J.

Nurse-Midwifery Education Program, University of Michigan School of Nursing, USA.

This Clinical Practice Exchange focuses on alternative healing in nurse-midwifery practice. It features interviews with six certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) who practice complementary therapies (CTs). The healing modalities they use include homeopathy, Healing Touch, hypnosis, herbal healing, mindfulness meditation, and water healing. The CNMs discuss their training to practice CTs, how they use alternative healing with clients, and how they integrate this with midwifery practice. The interviews are followed by an Alternative Healing Directory composed of 37 CNMs who responded to a Call, which appeared several times in Quickening and JNM. Each midwife's listing includes contact information, CTs practices, and special interests in networking with other CNMs about alternative healing. The JNM hopes that this Directory will be a catalyst for networking and communication that will move forward the discussion, practice, and research of alternative healing within the midwifery community.