RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: There has been an increase in the use and awareness of complementary and integrative therapies in the United States over the last 10 years. Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are in an ideal place to influence this paradigm shift in medicine to provide holistic care. PURPOSE: This study was designed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by CNSs in a large Midwest medical center. DESIGN: This study used a descriptive exploratory correlational design. SAMPLE/SETTING: Seventy-six CNSs who work in various inpatient and outpatient units within this medical facility were surveyed electronically, in the fall of 2008, using a 26-item questionnaire developed by the research team. METHOD: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: The results demonstrate that CNSs at this academic medical center use several CAM therapies for their personal use and for professional practice with patients. The top therapies that CNSs personally used were humor, massage, spirituality/prayer, music therapy, and relaxed breathing. The top therapies requested most by patients were massage, spirituality/prayer, healing touch, acupuncture, and music therapy. The results indicated that most CNSs thought CAM therapies were beneficial and that there was some evidence for use of these therapies for use by patients or by CNSs. IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study will help to determine educational needs and clinical practice of CAM therapies with CNSs at this academic medical center. The survey used and the research results from this study can be a template for other CNSs to use to begin to address this topic of CAM use in other hospitals and clinical settings. This survey could be used to explore CAM use by patients in specialty areas for practice enhancement.
Asunto(s)
Actitud del Personal de Salud , Terapias Complementarias , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Enfermeras Clínicas , Pautas de la Práctica en Enfermería/organización & administración , Autocuidado , Centros Médicos Académicos , Enfermería de Práctica Avanzada/educación , Enfermería de Práctica Avanzada/organización & administración , Agotamiento Profesional/epidemiología , Agotamiento Profesional/psicología , Competencia Clínica , Terapias Complementarias/educación , Terapias Complementarias/psicología , Terapias Complementarias/estadística & datos numéricos , Evaluación Educacional , Enfermería Holística/educación , Enfermería Holística/organización & administración , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Medio Oeste de Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Evaluación de Necesidades , Enfermeras Clínicas/educación , Enfermeras Clínicas/organización & administración , Enfermeras Clínicas/psicología , Rol de la Enfermera/psicología , Investigación en Evaluación de Enfermería , Estudios Prospectivos , Autocuidado/métodos , Autocuidado/psicología , Autocuidado/estadística & datos numéricos , Autoeficacia , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) have a unique view and understanding of patients in their environment and are a valuable resource that has not been adequately engaged in research, even when CNSs assist researchers in the conduct of research. The purpose of this article is to outline activities for supporting the conduct of research that capitalize on the clinical strengths of the CNS from an ecological framework. To illustrate the contributions of CNSs in the conduct of research, 3 clinical research studies are described. Discussion of these studies within the context of an ecological framework offers a systematic approach to describing the potential involvement of the CNS in the implementation of nursing research.