Anthroposophic medicine is an extension of the modern practice of healing and is based on an understanding of man as a being in whom the soul-spiritual is intimately interwoven with all the processes that take place in the physical body. New insights and methods of working as well as a new range of medicines and therapies were developed step by step by Rudolf Steiner in association with his medical collaborators, primarily in the clinic which Dr lta Wegman had founded in Arlesheim, Switzerland in 1921. This new impulse, however, extends not only to doctors and pharmacists but also to the profession of nursing, so that the lta Wegman Clinic in due course also became the first post-graduate training school for anthroposophic nursing practice. There are now 10 other training centres in Europe and the USA, and many countries have their own anthroposophic nurses associations. They are all affiliated to the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum. A group of 25 representative nurses meet there annually to develop themes for international conferences and research.

The Anthroposophical Nurse

The anthroposophic nurse is firstly a state trained nurse who extends her knowledge of the nature of the human being with the anthroposophic world view. This view takes into account a spiritually evolving humanity as well as the development of each individual soul into whose biography reincarnation and the laws of destiny bring order and meaning, and where illness and health also play a meaningful role in the course of one's life. Of especial importance is an insight into the way in which the cosmic or spiritual forces play into the world of nature and into our own make-up, so that effective methods of healing and care can be applied. With such a background, specific training in the wide range of therapies available and a continuing meditative attempt to deepen the awareness of her tasks, the nurse has to approach her work.

The nurse endeavours to work out of 2 streams of forces: the heart forces of warmth and strength bringing love; the heart forces of light and insight bringing helping care. These combined in the will are active in the hands.

A major task of the nurse is to work with the patients' moods. In general terms this means creating a calm and secure atmosphere and surroundings. It also means that with the vulnerability that illness brings in terms of fear, despair, loneliness, helplessness and pain, the nurse can stand at the edge of these challenges with the patient. Her own fears and pains need to have been made conscious yet still enable her to serve with compassion. In practical terms the environment of the patient's physical boundary needs to be made more secure and at peace. This can be done for example by applying oil in light and warming movement to all or parts of the body. The nurse works closely with the anthroposophic doctor giving prescribed medications such as injection courses, yet is challenged through her own research and insight to come to the appropriate external treatment for the patient.

In a modern sense the four elements of earth, fire, air and water are studied, for these can be conceived as realities playing into our bodily nature. In health these are in a state of balance, each in a different way for the different organs, whereas in illness or disease the equilibrium has been lost and needs to be restored. We seek to recreate it with the use of corresponding cold, warm, dry/light and moist treatments which take such forms as:

A central training for the nurse rests an the development of her faculties of observation which are awakened through ongoing practice, Plant study, with the guidance of Goetheanistic methodology, is the most enriching and rewarding for the effort. As a relationship is built towards the plant, metal or substance, insight arises as to what is right to use as therapy. This is also true for a study of the organs. The natural realm that inherently carries healing life forces is the plant world. Knowledge! of the plant, carried as thought picture by the nurse when giving medication or carrying out a nursing care is a most helpful attitude towards healing.

In the world at present the nurse's role is undergoing something of a crisis. Academia and research; management: advocacy and counselling; chemical and technical skills are directions in an attempt to establish our professional status. In amongst this, anthroposophic nursing has a very tangible and renewing part to play. 

The Anthroposophic Nurses Association

The founding meeting of The Association in New Zealand was on 22 August, 1993 at Taruna in Hawke's Bay. The association grew out of an interest which started with a few nurses, some of us working in anthroposophic medical practices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in the 1980's. Contact through conferences had been limited and we felt the need to have more support and sharing of our work.

Since 1990 we have been meeting regularly in Hawke's Bay. It has been a time of mutual sharing and study, exchange of ideas, experiences and questions related to anthroposophic nursing practice. We were invited to give workshops and seminars on various topics, including home nursing, health and nutrition, childhood illnesses and care of the young child.

Some nurses in the community developed an interest in anthroposophic nursing. We offered practical workshops on medicinal plant studies, compresses and oil dispersion baths and other external treatments. A number of conferences were held with Anne Joris (Reed) as the main speaker (nursing tutor/therapist, formerly from the lta Wegman Klinik now working in Australia). She has been a source of inspiration and has supported us in our growth towards the association. Or. Michaela Glöckler, head of the Medical Section, Goetheanum, also supported us in our work. The idea thus arose to give more form and recognition to the practice of anthroposophic nursing and to enable those of us interested to connect more consciously with this stream of healing.

The Aims of the Association

These are: 

• to establish a group of nurses interested in anthroposophic nursing
• to provide a forum for conferences and ongoing education
• to facilitate research into the practice of anthroposophic nursing
• to foster relationships with anthroposophic and therapeutic work
• to develop connections with existing nursing trends
• to deepen the task of nursing through encouraging the ongoing path of inner development

Anthroposophic Nursing Training

More recently there has been discussion on the need for a more formal training in anthroposophic nursing. Anne Joris expressed her willingness to be involved and guide a training course with support from other specialist tutors. As a result a co-ordinating group was formed to bring about this new initiative. This is a post-graduate course open to registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives. It is held over a three year period and includes intensive study blocks, clinical practice, plant studies, observation exercises assignments and case studies. The content is taken from the larger anthroposophic picture of health, illness and healing as originally given by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman. The first training course started in August 1995 in Hawke's Bay with 38 participants from New Zealand and Australia. The nursing branch of anthroposophic medicine in this country is therefore something that is currently in movement.

 Jocelyn Freeman is an anthroposophic nurse working in a large general practice in Hastings, Kristina Friedlander is a nurse working with anthroposophic therapies in Hawke's Bay.