ABSTRACT
The growing interest in and use of alternative and complementary therapies by health care professionals and laypersons, the incorporation of these therapies in medical curricula and practice, and the greater acceptance of the legitimacy of such treatment methods require that nurse educators consider how this content may be incorporated into curricula. The authors propose that prelicensure students learn the premises that support such healing practices and develop skill in eliciting and evaluating patients' use of alternative therapies. In-depth study of one or more complementary therapies may be the focus of continuing education or elective courses. Students in graduate programs may investigate the safety and efficacy of nonorthodox therapies.
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies/education , Curriculum , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/organization & administration , Education, Nursing, Continuing/organization & administration , Education, Nursing, Graduate/organization & administration , Evidence-Based Medicine , Humans , Liability, Legal , Licensure, Nursing/legislation & jurisprudence , Needs Assessment , United StatesABSTRACT
While medical literature reflects an interest in the use of complementary therapies, there is a paucity of studies in the nursing literature addressing the use of therapies by nurses, either on themselves or on their clients. While the utilization rate of complementary therapies by the general population has been estimated to be as high as 45%, and nurses are interacting with clients who use these therapies on a daily basis, little is known about nurses' attitudes, knowledge, or perceived efficacy of the therapies.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Complementary Therapies , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Holistic Nursing , Patient Satisfaction , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nursing Staff/psychologyABSTRACT
While medical literature reflects an interest in the use of complementary therapies, there is a paucity of studies in the nursing literature addressing the use of therapies by nurses, either on themselves or on their clients. While the utilization rate of complementary therapies by the general population has been estimated to be as high as 45%, and nurses are interacting with clients who use these therapies on a daily basis, little is known about nurses' attitudes, knowledge, or perceived efficacy of the therapies.
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Holistic Nursing/statistics & numerical data , Nursing Staff/statistics & numerical data , Humans , OhioABSTRACT
This study compared scores on the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory of 60 first-year nursing students with scores of 73 nonnursing majors of approximately the same age to test the hypothesis that, in general, individuals selecting nursing as a major tend to show a more adaptive style of creativity in problem solving than their nonnursing peers. Analysis indicated the nursing students were significantly more "adaptive" in problem solving and less "innovative" than the nonnursing control group.
