Nurses are among the most trusted professionals, devoting their careers to caring for other people. Holistic nursing is the core of nursing education with the practice of healing the whole person by incorporating biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. With the tremendous advances in conventional medicine and technology people are living significantly longer. This brings about the need for more caring professionals to provide care for this population. The use of both conventional medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) help to integrate the common thread between the two by focusing on individualizing care, treatment of the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing with preventative methods. With the underlying basis of nursing, who could be better than an advanced practice nurse practitioner (APRN) to help bridge this gap in treatment between conventional medicine and CAM.
The most frequent users of CAM practices are those with more serious and debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, and HIV. The CAM practices that are most commonly used by these groups consist of: nutritional approaches (macrobiotic, vegetarian, gluten-free, organic, non-GMO), massage, herbs, acupuncture, meditation, imagery, exercise, and overall lifestyle changes. Providing the best possible care to the population is represented by having a healthcare provider that is knowledgeable of these practices, open to referring their patients to a CAM provider, and integrating their conventional health practices with CAM therapies. It is not right to say that all traditional medicine is the correct way to practice medicine, as it is not right to say CAM is the correct way to heal a person. Nurse practitioners have a unique advantage by already having the nursing and nurturing background and the advanced degree to provide a higher level of medical care to their patients.
Conventional medicine has focused on the use of pharmaceuticals, surgical, and other technology approaches to dominate their health care; thus leading to the decreased emphasis on prevention and wellness promotion. Many individuals have made their decisions to use CAM instead of or in addition to conventional medicine. The integration of conventional medicine and CAM would allow for the best components of both practices to help promote health, prevent disease and treat illness. Some obstacles to the integration of these two practices are not only scientific, but also educational, regulatory, and political. Future changes must touch on each of these components to help provide a well-rounded wellness to the United States population. Including courses in alternative medicine while receiving a nursing or nurse practitioner degree is a wonderful step to help integrate CAM into practice. Continuing education programs aimed at CAM therapies would improve knowledge and may also provide for increased medical insurance reimbursement and coverage. The continuation of alternative therapy research through institutions like the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) will help to strengthen this practice and to alleviate concerns and obstacles for use.
The use of complementary and alternative medicine allows the nurse practitioner to provide individualized care with the focus on promoting one’s health. Each patient has their beliefs and practices that must be discussed openly and be addressed during each visit with their primary care provider. Whether the healthcare provider is capable within their scope of practice to provide CAM or they refer their patient to a CAM provider, they should work as a collaborative team to provide the best possible care for the patient. Society needs to work on preventing disease and illness, promoting one’s health, and taking ownership for their care; having a nurse practitioner knowledgeable in conventional and CAM therapies by their side throughout the journey will be instrumental for a healthy nation.
Allison E. LaBelle BSN, RN is a Certified Pediatric Nurse at Connecticut Children’s Medical where she has spent her 15 year nursing career working as a staff nurse on a medical-surgical unit caring for children. Recipient of the Nightingale Nursing Award in 2006 for excellence in nursing. Currently she is enrolled at the University of Saint Joseph to obtain her Master of Science in Nursing degree, on the Family Nurse Practitioner track. In addition to her career, she is a loving mother to two amazing boys and wife to the most understanding, supportive husband. She plans on taking a holistic, integrative approach in practice as a nurse practitioner following graduation in May 2017. Contact information: alabelle@usj.edu