Appendix F: WHOLE Care Reflective Questions for Health Care Leaders and Teams

• W – WHOLISM – How well and whole is our HC organization? Its members? Its relationships? Is our commitment to holism embodied in our daily work and way of being? Is our team effectively promoting wellness for those both giving and receiving care? Are we leading, working, and interacting with integrity?

• H – HISTORY – Individually and collectively … What is our organization’s and team’s history in promoting holism/IHC? Where are we (individually and collectively) in our process of gaining homeostasis? Healing? Transformation? Evolution? How well are we integrating all relevant healing systems? How well are we honouring those who have historically been marginalized and harmed in health care and society? Where are we in the process of decolonizing our care? Our organization? Our community?

• O – OPTIONS – What options/modalities for healing are we currently integrating/considering/ruling out? What new evidence-base needs to be reviewed? How well are we supporting care providers to access the options they find supportive in promoting and restoring their well-being?

• L – LOGISTICS – How well do we help patients and care providers safely access modalities that best support their healing? How creatively do we navigate logistics involved in offering IHC?

• E – ENVIRONMENT – How well does our physical and relational environment promote healing, wholeness, and wellness for patients, visitors, and staff? What environmental stressors and hazards are present in our shared space? How can we address and mitigate them? What anti-oppression measures do we need to learn and implement to create a safe, healthy care/workplace culture?

• CARE – What do we do to regularly take care of our team? Its members? Our relationships? Our organization? What supports and resources can we draw upon? What advocacy work supports our care of self by honouring our passion/sense of calling? What advocacy work needs to be left to others?

Selected References

Baldwin, C., & Linnea, A. (2010). The circle way: A leader in every chair. Berrett-Koehler.

BC Campus. (2018). Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation: Pulling together: A guide for curriculum developers. https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationcurriculumdevelopers/chapter/indigenization-decolonization-and-reconciliation/

Crenshaw, K. (2017). On intersectionality: Essential writings. Faculty Books.

Gebhard, A., McLean, S., & St. Denis, V. (2022). White benevolence: Racism and colonial violence in the helping professions. Fernwood.

Jonas, W.  (2018).  How healing works: Get well and stay well using your hidden power to heal. Lorena Jones Books.

Leclerc, L., Kennedy, K., Campis, S. (2020). Human-centered leadership in health care: An idea that’s time has come. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 44(2),117-126.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32134870/

Leclerc, L,, Kennedy, K., Campis, S. (2021). Human-centered leadership in health care: A contemporary nursing leadership theory generated via constructivist grounded theory. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(2):294-306. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32896020/

Kennedy, K., Leclerc, L., & Campis, S. (2021). Human-centered leadership in healthcare: Evolution of a Revolution. Morgan James Publishing.

Kreitzer, M., & Koithan, M. (Eds.). (2018). Integrative nursing (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. (3rd ed. in 2025)

Rakel, D. & Minichiello, V. (Eds.) (2023). Integrative medicine (5th ed.). Elsevier.

Sternberg, E. (2010). Healing spaces: The science of place and well-being. Belknap Press.

Note: While the above WHOLE Care questions are geared toward health care professionals, anyone could adapt them to help promote a healthy culture in any organization.

Copyright 2013-2024     Karen Scott Barss
Permission granted to copy or adapt this document with credit to its original creator