Complementary therapies: what are the ethics challenges for Kansas nurses?

Nurses have an important role in CT/IM now and in the future. Their influence is great because they serve as the frontline in health care and are often the source of patient information. Since the trend of integrating CT/IM modalities into patient self-care appears to be here to stay, nurses need to understand what they are, how they are used, and what the contraindications might be. In addition, each nurse must decide his or her position on these modalities. This decision should be an educated decision that is in keeping with nursing philosophy and practice. There are several take away points about CT/IM from this article; it should be remembered that: 1. CT/IM is here to stay and can be a part of nursing practice now and in the future. 2. Patients use a variety of CT/IM modalities to augment treatment or to work toward quality of life. 3. It is important for nurses to be lifelong learners where CT/IM is concerned so that they can be a better advocate for patient's information and safety needs. 4. Opportunities exist for nurses to expand their practices to include CT/IM modalities. 5. Ethics-based nursing practice supports the need to maintain currency about CT/IM practices.

Meaning in motivation: does your organization need an inner life?

Leaders of health care organizations are increasingly interested in ways to attract, retain, and gain commitment from their employees. This interest is created in part because high turnover rates and the lack of commitment negatively affect the provision of care and the bottom line in their organizations. In a quality and cost conscious health care environment, health care managers need to find solutions for these difficult issues; solutions that are effective, efficient and sustainable. What can be done? This article reviews, amplifies, and extends work that has been done in the area of "meaningfulness of work" in the context of employee retention and commitment. It begins with an exploration of the problems caused by lack of employee engagement and commitment including their impact on quality and costs. It then summarizes both the theoretical and applied research in the area of meaning and work. It also introduces the basic principles of Viktor Frankl's logotherapy (Frankl, 1998) as a foundation for encouraging the integration of meaning and work. The seminal work by Pattakos (2004) is used to demonstrate how Frankl's principles can be applied to healthcare work settings. Finally, the article provides suggestions for increasing employee commitment and engagement through identifying meaning and purpose in work.