A client asks a nurse who is a certified Reiki therapist to perform Reiki during hospital care. What is the nurse's responsibility?

A client asks a nurse who is a certified Reiki therapist to perform Reiki during hospital care. What is the nurse's responsibility?

• A. Therapies such as Reiki are controversial, and the practical nurse must not practise Reiki in an accredited hospital.
• B. The practical nurse may practise Reiki within her role as a certified Reiki therapist, as she is fully competent, and Olga has made an informed and legitimate request.
• C. The practical nurse may practise Reiki at City Hospital, but only after her assigned shift and not as part of her practical nursing duties.
• D. Reiki is not allowed in hospital settings.

Answer: (B)

When a client requests a complementary therapy like Reiki, the nurse’s responsibility is to respect the patient’s autonomy, provide care within her scope, and ensure safety and consent. If the nurse is certified and competent to administer Reiki, and the hospital policy allows it, she can offer Reiki as part of ongoing care. The key is that the activity is voluntary for the client, does not replace essential medical treatment, and is documented and delivered in a manner consistent with professional boundaries and infection control. This approach supports holistic, patient-centered care while honoring the client’s informed choice. It’s not automatically prohibited in hospitals; it isn’t restricted to after shifts, and it isn’t appropriate to assume it’s always disallowed—policy and consent govern its use.

When a client requests a complementary therapy like Reiki, the nurse’s responsibility is to respect the patient’s autonomy, provide care within her scope, and ensure safety and consent. If the nurse is certified and competent to administer Reiki, and the hospital policy allows it, she can offer Reiki as part of ongoing care. The key is that the activity is voluntary for the client, does not replace essential medical treatment, and is documented and delivered in a manner consistent with professional boundaries and infection control.

This approach supports holistic, patient-centered care while honoring the client’s informed choice. It’s not automatically prohibited in hospitals; it isn’t restricted to after shifts, and it isn’t appropriate to assume it’s always disallowed—policy and consent govern its use.