Empowering Future Healthcare Practitioners: The Case for Integrative Health Education at Carolinas College of Health Sciences
Written by: Dina Khentigan, DNP, RN, C-EFM
In 2022 Carolinas College of Health Sciences offered an Innovation Grant Award to college teammates. The college had reserved up to $25,000 from the Carolinas College Advancement fund to support the planning and implementation of an innovative college-based project. The criteria for the grant included a reasonable and achievable plan that would benefit the college community in a significant way and align with the strategic goals or initiatives of the Carolinas College Impact 2025 Strategic Plan. Dr. Dina Khentigan, ADN Nurse Faculty II, was awarded the grant in December of 2022. Dr. Khentigan’s innovation was to create an online, asynchronous elective about Integrative Health in which all Carolinas College students could enroll.
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, it is imperative that future healthcare practitioners embrace a holistic approach to patient care. Integrative health, as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (2022), involves a care approach that incorporates both traditional and alternative therapies to treat the individual as a whole. This approach focuses not only on disease prevention but also on promoting health and well-being, and it emphasizes the importance of treating the mind, body and spirit as interconnected components of overall health. By introducing this new integrative health course, CCHS can equip future healthcare practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide well-rounded, comprehensive patient-centered care.
Supportive of the 2025 strategic plan, the new Integrative Health course offers an additional benefit in that it aligns seamlessly with the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Interprofessional education, a key component of integrative health, involves collaboration between two or more disciplines to learn and work together (Interprofessional Global, 2022). This collaboration not only enhances the education of students but also improves health outcomes for individuals and communities. By offering this course across various disciplines, the College can promote interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing students to work effectively in a healthcare environment that values teamwork and shared expertise.
To bring this vision to fruition, specialized training for the lead faculty was essential. The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Health, renowned for its expertise in integrative health education, offers an online certificate program. This program includes a six-month online curriculum and a four-day retreat in Arizona, leading to a certificate in Integrative Health and Lifestyle Program. The Andrew Weil Center's program is considered the gold standard in integrative health education and serves as a model for other programs across the country. Dr. Khentigan completed this program in July of 2023.
The Integrative Health course, HEA 110 Integrative Health, covers a broad spectrum of topics, including spirituality, stress resilience, mindfulness, sleep, physical activity, relationships, nutrition, healthy environments, phytonutrients and aromatherapy. It will be available for all students beginning Spring 2024.
Carolinas College remains at the forefront of preparing healthcare practitioners for the challenges of tomorrow's healthcare landscape. Educating a new generation of healthcare professionals to empower communities and individuals to optimize their health and well-being through evidence-based, sustainable practices is a progressive step forward.