Margaret Costello Has the Right Touch


Like many patients, one person recently admitted to 15C to recover from her knee surgery was apprehensive at the thought of taking pain medication as it made her very drowsy. Her reluctance made her nervous and uneasy.

“She was getting really anxious,” said Margaret Costello, RN, BSN, MSN. “She then mentioned some relaxation techniques used on her at another hospital in the past.”

Costello, a nurse-in-charge on 15C, quickly recognized the patient's description as Reiki, an integrative therapy increasing in popularity. Ironically, Costello had just earned her certification in Reiki, an energy healing modality in which the healer allows and directs healing energy to flow through her and into the patient's energy field to remove energy blockages, to provide healing and serenity.

Costello centers herself, focusing on her own breath, as a method of becoming present in preparation for providing a Reiki treatment. She places her hands on the patient's shoulders and just breathes with the patient before embarking on the treatment when she places her hands on several defined areas of the body while allowing healing energy to flow through her and into the patient. As it flows into the patient's energy field, Reiki energy calms, relaxes, removes energy blockages and reduces pain the patient may be experiencing post-operatively.

“This patient reported that Reiki helped alleviate the pain in her knee and ease her anxiety,” Costello said.

Therapeutic Touch and Reiki are evidence-based nursing practices. Both interventions are well researched and validated for use in decreasing pain, providing stress relief and inducing calmness and a sense of well being. Therapeutic Touch treatment is similar to Reiki; however, there is no touching of the patient. The energy is directed through the hands into the patient's energy field.

There is a growing demand from patients for alternative or complementary therapies such as Reiki and non-contact Therapeutic Touch, and BWH is supporting clinical staff like Costello, who wish to become certified in the practices and apply them in care. “The public is becoming more aware and asking for these therapies,” said Costello, who is certified in both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch thanks to BWH.

“Complementary therapies are being applied with much success to alleviate patients' pain, nausea and anxiety,” Costello said. “I'm thrilled with the support from BWH for this.”

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