For the past two years, University of Minnesota Twin Cities School of Nursing faculty have undertaken an initiative to intentionally weave whole person health concepts into the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and create holistic learning experiences to prepare nurses to address the interconnectedness of body, mind, spirit, community and environment.
Faculty have embedded whole health education in foundational, clinical and leadership courses, giving students exposure to global healing traditions and integrative therapies, and leading systems-level change through a tiered approach.
“Whole person health is a framework for learning, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of factors that influence a person’s wellbeing,” says Stephanie Delkoski, assistant dean of the DNP program.
Delkoski says that training advanced practice nurses through this lens can help them better guide patients in making lifestyle changes to promote health and resilience and manage chronic conditions.
“Embedding whole person health in DNP education reinforces the distinct contributions advanced practice nurses bring, strengthening their professional identity and preparing them to work in and lead interdisciplinary teams in today’s health care system,” says Delkoski.
Integrating concepts across the curriculum
“Whole person health is a paradigm shift to recognizing the inseparability of body, mind, spirit, community, culture, place and environment,” says Clinical Assistant Professor Angelica Walton, who is leading the initiative. “Our faculty have taken up this charge to strategically scaffold learning so that students are introduced to the diversity of global philosophies and scientific evidence as building blocks for practice.”
Faculty have integrated whole person health concepts across all levels of the DNP curriculum. Students are introduced to whole health concepts early in foundational courses. As they progress through the program, they apply these concepts in case-based learning activities, simulations, clinical experiences and advanced leadership projects.
“By the time they reach their specialty level, they are practicing whole person care and learning to build systems and policies that reflect it,” says Walton.
Embedding whole person health concepts across the curriculum, instead of just as an elective or add-on, ensures that all students graduate with the skills and competence to practice whole person health.
A pioneering history
The University of Minnesota is one of only a few nursing schools taking this comprehensive, scaffolded approach to integrating whole person health concepts throughout a doctoral program, making it a leader in the field. The school has a pioneering history in this area, as it was the first in the country to establish a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in integrative health and healing in 2009.
“We have long-standing faculty expertise and community partnerships that have positioned us to be innovators nationally and globally,” says Walton.
A new generation of healers
Students have responded to the curriculum with excitement, describing the material as grounding, authentic and what they’ve been seeking. They are eager to learn how to collaborate with interprofessional experts in areas such as acupuncture and somatic body practices.
“This is helping them connect their values to their practice and envision new possibilities for nursing’s role in health system transformation,” says Walton.
As the initiative continues, faculty will deepen the ways they integrate competency and skill development into every stage of nursing education, including integrating the content more intentionally in prelicensure programs.
“We need advanced practice practitioners and leaders who can navigate complexity with wisdom, integrity and understanding of multiple pathways for healing,” says Walton. “Teaching whole person health at the doctoral level ensures our graduates can design care models, influence policy and lead teams that reflect an understanding of equity, interdependence and systems transformation.”
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