NURSES ATTITUDES TO THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN CANCER-PATIENTS

This study reports results from a questionnaire study on nurses' attit udes to and experiences with alternative medicine, especially related to cancer patients' use of alternative medicine. Sixty nurses from a d epartment of oncology and haematology participated in the study. The r esponse rate was 62%. The nurses primarily perceived the use of altern ative medicine as an individual choice which the nurses wanted to supp ort. Sixty-three percent of the nurses indicated that alternative medi cine could be useful in the treatment of cancer patients, 32% would so metimes suggest alternative medicine to the patients, and 20% used alt ernative medicine in their nursing. One-third of the nurses had experi enced conflict in connection with alternative medicine and their patie nts, mostly when established treatment was delayed or refused in favou r of alternative medicine. Fifty-three percent of the nurses had tried alternative medicine themselves. This study reveals that nurses are i n an ambiguous and complex situation: they are simultaneously professi onals in the established health care system, caregivers supporting the patients, and individuals using alternative medicine.