When I was  hired as a Nursing Director  in a large, southern health care system I was delighted when I met many health care professionals who advocated for complementary therapies within our system.  I was equally delighted when I was included in the membership on the Complementary  Task Force to exam and promote holistic concepts.   Soon however I realized we were going nowhere with anything–we just talked!  Eventually the group was dissolved with a relayed statement  from “‘The Top Gun’ who supposedly  said,  “There is no room for complementary therapies  in this health care system” and that was that.  The Complementary Task force was toast.

Several years later I left the director position and returned to education where I felt I could possibly implement   concepts such as imagery and progression relaxation into some of my classes. One afternoon while searching for course material in the library, my life was changed forever when I found an article written by Jane Buckle ( Holistic Nurse and Aromatherapist) and published in the Holistic Journal of Nursing. In her article Jane explained how lavender essential oil worked quite similarly to Ativan, the popular  (and addicting ) anti-anxiety drug that we used copious amounts of.  I could not believe what I was reading–was this really true!!  I was so moved by her article that on that same day I applied for membership in the Holistic Nursing Association.

And that was the beginning of the beginning.

As the heavens would have it, my “boss”, also a RN, supported me in my journey for Certification as a Holistic Nurse and an Aromatherapist.  As if that was not enough good fortune, when I realized it was time to leave the Health Care System and start my own business she was quite supportive.  However, she wanted me to teach aromatherapy to nurses in the  health system.

I agreed–how could I not when she had supported me one hundred percent?  My condition was that I needed a year to practice and put a course together.

True to both our promises, I came back in a year with my essential oils and  my introductory class.   I was not paid in wages, but I was given the space and the  nurses!   Before I taught my first class  I looked at her and said, “Is this approved?” She looked at me steadily and said evenly, ” just teach”.  And oh, I did!!

To be Continued…