Nurses' perception on non-conventional therapies

ABSTRACT

Non-conventional therapies (NCT) still are subject of debate in the health area. Nursing, as a practice in constant social transformation, is also attentive to the emergence of these new therapies. The objective of this study was to evaluate nurses' perception about NCT. We carried out a pilot study with a convenience sample of 85 nurses. Data was collected by a hetero-administered questionnaire and was analyzed with IBM SPSS V.24. Most nurses are unaware of or know little about Chiropractic, Phytotherapy, Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and are well aware of Osteopathy and Acupuncture. About 87% did not have any content that addressed NCT in their initial training, however 76% agreed that some contents should be included in the curricula. More than a half have already tried some NCT as patients, and most were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapies; the majority (93%) would recommend their integration into the Health National System. Only 17% completed training in some NCT, but 70% would like to have training in this area. About 45% work or have already worked with NCT professionals and 77% agree that NCT professionals should integrate current health teams. This pilot study suggests that most nurses have positive perceptions on NCT, in such a time when the regulation of NCT professions presents itself as a new element in the field of health and in multidisciplinary teams and as a training ne-cessity. Nurses' practices and training should follow health trends, including the integration of new therapies

RESUMEN

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