Name: Claire Stark
RN credentials: RN SCM
Therapy credentials: Therapeutic Touch Practitioner (TTP)
Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (CHTP)
Reiki (level 2)
Qigong (Dr. Chow Intensive)
Place of Employment: St. Michael's Hospital, Labour and Birth Unit
CTNIG Executive role: Finance Officer
When I first heard about the idea of an interest group for nurses
involving complementary therapies, I knew I wanted to be part of it. How innovative and how timely. Nurses are multi-tasked, multi-talented and we are surrounded by colleagues with special gifts. Why not discover how nurses might support each other, network together and bring their expertise of complementary therapies to the forefront to be further recognised within their own professional practice.
My introduction to complementary therapies was a workshop at St. Michael's Hospital on Therapeutic Touch (TT) in 1995 (no pre-post test required!) and it changed everything for me. Here was an opportunity to offer family, friends, patients and colleagues a non-invasive therapy to help them relax and begin their own healing process as well as providing self-care for myself. Seeing such positive results and benefits of TT gave me enthusiasm and incentive to pursue more learning of energy work and so now I am a recognized TT practitioner, certified Healing Touch practitioner, student of Reiki and of Qigong.
Originally a British trained nurse and midwife, I have been an
Obstetrical nurse in Labour and Birth at St. Michael's for 25 years, part-time when raising children and full-time since 1992. It is specialty area I love and one which provides, for me, both challenge and opportunity: the challenge of change in the workplace and opportunity to make a difference. A hospital policy recognises nurses trained in TT and it is an opportunity for me to utilise this energy work as part of my daily nursing practice, to document it and demonstrate it. Offering complementary therapies to my nursing
colleagues and staff has given me the opportunity to create awareness of the work.
My role as Finance Officer has involved opening a bank account,
establishing a working budget, issuing cheques and balancing the
book-keeping. Having avoided 'committee work' in the past, this has been a great place for me to start for, as a member of the Executive, I am able to fully participate in the process of discussion and decision making. We are all learning and supporting each other in our respective roles and from the enthusiastic support of the growing membership, we gain insight, initiative and purpose to more CTNIG to be come more visible in the healthcare setting.
It is an exciting time to get involved! |
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