Hohashi defines Chinese medicine nursing as “a practical science that enables the alleviation of symptoms, prevention of illness, treatment, and recuperation by comprehensively diagnosing the overall condition of a person (family member) and improving their constitution and environment.” Hohashi advocates Chinese medicine nursing as a new academic field. Building the foundation for the theory, practice, education, and research of Chinese medicine nursing is a pressing task.
In Chinese medicine nursing, patients are scrutinized from a variety of perspectives, including diet, exercise, mind, rest and environment. Environment relates to their food, clothing, shelter and human relationships, including family. More specifically, based on the basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a comprehensive diagnosis of the patient’s overall condition is made through pulse and tongue examination, and so on. Methods for improving constitution and environment include meridian acupoint therapy, cupping therapy, dietary therapy (medicinal dietary guidance, etc.), exercise therapy (tai chi, etc.), sound therapy and aromatherapy, and so on. Augmenting the natural healing powers of the mind and body makes possible alleviation of symptoms, prevention of illness (proactive curing before illness occurs), and undergoing of treatment and health care (self-care).
Japan currently has only a limited number of training institutes for public health nurses, midwives, and nurses where Chinese medicine nursing are incorporated; however the knowledge, techniques, and ideas of Chinese medicine nursing are essential to modern nursing. Chinese medicine nursing embody wisdom for living a healthy and happy life, but is characterized by the fact that it is difficult to obtain evidence for its efficacy. It can be said that Japanese and Chinese medicine and nursing have a close affinity in that they both consider family members/the whole family while making full use of the five senses.
Family-focused nursing has existed since the time of Florence Nightingale. Nightingale recognized the importance of family and home environment in nursing, discussed the practice of health promotion activities at home, and instructed that nursing practice should target the entire family. This bears many similarities to treatment and health care in Chinese medicine, which focuses on improving patients’ environment, including the home environment.
For example, Chinese medicine nursing at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China incorporates Chinese medicine into nursing education, with particular emphasis on pulse diagnosis, which is one of the traditional diagnostic methods. In addition, massage, acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping therapy are used to stimulate the meridians, improving blood flow, and meals tailored to each patient's constitution are provided in collaboration with herbalists, so the knowledge and techniques of Chinese medicine are incorporated into everyday nursing.
Certified Nurse Specialists (CNS) in Family Health Nursing provide care and cure, but Hohashi is particularly interested in the clinical application of Chinese medicine nursing. In Japan, which historically has been influenced by China, the medical theories of Chinese medicine have permeated people’s lifestyles and are easily adopted into the home environment. Chinese medicine nursing takes into account the constitution of family members and emphasizes the natural healing power of the body, making it effective in preventing and treating COVID-19, for example. In the future, we predict that a familiarity with knowledge of the theory and practice of Chinese medicine nursing will become essential for nursing professionals.