Israeli Nurses’ Attitudes to the Holistic Approach to Health and Their Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Abstract

Biomedical and holistic approaches are perceived by nurses to coexist within nursing professional boundaries and form a broad basis for optimal health care. Nurses' attitudes to the holistic approach appear to promote recommendation and/or use of CAM in practice. More training in CAM should be offered in nursing educational frameworks and research should continue to establish evidence for CAM's effectiveness.

Attitudes and beliefs of nurses and technicians towards complementary-alternative medicine

“…The reasons for the increased use of CAM in the general population differ in literature and include the improvement function of the immune system [13-15], decrease of adverse effects [15,16], pain control [17], belief that CAM is safer than conventional medication [17]. Personal experience, knowledge and education have been pointed out as factors that contribute most to forming attitudes towards CAM in the population of nurses and medical technicians, and to their willingness to recommend them to the patients [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]14]. The results of our study show that more than half of the nurses and technicians themselves use the methods of local traditional medicine and apitherapy (56.6% vs 54.2%), then homeopathy (19.3%), phytotherapy (43.4%), yoga (37.5%), constellation work (21.7%) and aromatherapy (36.1%).…”

“…Information about the attitudes of nurses on the utilization of TM and CAM come foremost from the developed parts of the world [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. In our country, the knowledge about the attitudes of healthcare workers, especially nurses and technicians, towards TM and CAM is limited.…”

Health professionals� knowledge and attitudes to healthcare-seeking practices and complementary alternative medicine usage in Ugandans with diabetes: a cross-sectional survey

“…This indicated an endorsement of a positive attitude towards CAM [ 8 ]. While other healthcare providers recommended massage, dietary supplements and prayers, as the most common CAM therapies [ 20 , 21 ]; known and unknown local herbal extracts, nutritional products and counselling are the CAM therapies frequently offered to patients with diabetes from the folk sector [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…Despite the use of CAM in many conditions, little is known about the proficiency of nurses [ 16 ] or other healthcare professionals regarding how it is used to manage diabetes mellitus in combination with western medicine. Previously some studies on knowledge and attitudes to CAM investigated CAM usage among healthcare providers without disease specificity and healthcare seeking practices of patients [ 17 - 19 ] though other studies have included the ability of healthcare staff to communicate the risks and benefits of CAM to patients [ 20 , 21 ]. Before considering the integration of CAM into the professional healthcare system there must be sufficient knowledge, willingness, and receptivity among professionals to deliver or promote the administration of certain CAM therapies [ 17 ].…”

Role of Complementary Medicine in Nursing and Health Care Professionals

“…Nearly two-thirds of CM users preferred not to discuss the use of CM with their doctors for fear of doctor's disapproval, disinterest, or inability to help [14]. Although nurses tend to demonstrate a positive attitude towards CM because of their appreciation of a holistic approach to health, they seem to lack a comprehensive understanding of the associated risks and benefits of CM and feel uncomfortable discussing this therapeutic approach to their patients [15][16][17]. Fortunately, the awareness of incorporating CM in the existing curricula of nursing and medicine has increased in recent years [18][19][20][21][22].…”