Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Qualitative Study for Reconsidering Nursing Care in the United States.

Purpose: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) proposes the world as a holistic unity of energy. With a long history of use, TCM is generally accepted in the Chinese health care system. Despite growing global interest and use, TCM has received a mixed response from Western health care systems. This study aimed to describe the underpinnings of TCM, compare TCM and Western medicine, and suggest how key modalities might be applied to strengthen holistic nursing care in the United States. Design: A qualitative, descriptive exploratory investigation employing a constructivist grounded theory. Method: Interview of TCM healers in Hong Kong (n = 5). Transcripts were reviewed to identify common themes and categories. Findings: Five themes were identified: improvement in energy flow and health, TCM as "a way of knowing," curing source versus symptoms of disease, declining TCM practice in Hong Kong, and need for interprofessional education. Conclusions: TCM is considered useful in chronic illnesses, whereas those with acute illnesses often seek Western medicine. Failing to address the holistic care needs and preferences of individuals results in less than optimal health outcomes. Nurses need explicit TCM content and would benefit from a restructuring of curricula and clinical experiences to foster integration into caring practices.

The Impact of a Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Study abroad programs have increased dramatically. Most programs are short-term and include a cultural immersion as well as classroom and/or service learning. In this article, the authors discuss a study abroad program to China that included cultural immersion and classroom learning specific to traditional Chinese medicine. Participants kept journals with specific writing assignments and reflections about their experiences during the trip. At the conclusion of the trip, a qualitative survey was administered to the participants. Outcomes included the benefits of cultural immersion and a greater appreciation of cultural diversity, complementary and alternative medicine and holistic health care. Participants were able to describe transformational experiences of living in and learning from the Chinese culture and peoples. They intended to incorporate their experiences and enhanced understanding of traditional Chinese medicine and complementary and alternative therapies to provide culturally competent holistic health care in their nursing practice.

Nurse migration from India: a literature review.

BACKGROUND: A profound nursing shortage exists in India where nurses are increasingly outmigrating to practice nursing in surrounding countries and abroad. This is important globally because countries with the lowest nursing and healthcare workforce capacities have the poorest health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This review sought to synthesize and unify the evidence about nurse migration from India and includes a look at nurse retention within India. DESIGN: A comprehensive literature review was performed to synthesize and unify both qualitative and quantitative research. DATA SOURCES: Bibliographic databases searched included CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EconLit using associated keywords for empirical and descriptive literature published between January 2004 and May 2014. Hand searches of the Nursing Journal of India from 2004 to February 2014 and the Journal of Nursing Research Society of India from its inception in 2007-February 2014 were also completed. REVIEW PROCESS: 29 studies were selected and analyzed for the review. Data were appraised for quality; reduced through sub-categorization; extracted; and coded into a framework. Thematic interpretation occurred through comparing and contrasting performed by multiple reviewers. RESULTS: Findings included an exponential growth in nurse recruitment efforts, nurse migration, and a concomitant growth in educational institutions within India with regional variations in nurse migration patterns. Decision-making factors for migration were based on working conditions, salience of family, and the desire for knowledge, skill, technology, adventure and personal enrichment. Challenges associated with migration included questionable recruiting practices, differing scopes of practice encountered after migration and experiences of racism and cultural differences. A shift toward a positive transformation of nursing status in India has resulted in an increased respect for individual nurses and the profession of nursing. This was attributed to the increased globalization of nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this review can be used to shape health policy and advocate for nursing reform in India. As India's healthcare infrastructure continues to evolve, effective programs to improve conditions for nurses and retain them in India are needed. Additionally, as the globalization of nurses increases, more research is needed to develop effective programs to aid in a smooth transition for nurses who migrate from India.