CAM Education in California Schools of Nursing
Graduation Date
1-2007
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Nursing
Department or Program Chair
Barbara Ganley, PhD
Thesis Advisor
June Wilson, PhD, RN
Abstract
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been used for centuries to treat illness of all kinds and is gaining a newfound acceptance by the American public (Helms). With more and more Americans using various CAM therapies, it is incumbent upon nurses to become familiar with these therapies so that they can facilitate their integration into the client’s plan of care, as well as anticipate any problems that may arise because of the combination of CAM and treatments in the medical model (Sok, Erlen, & Kim, 2004. The NCLEX-RN® test plan, which was revised effective April of 2007, includes complementary and alternative therapies as part of the Basic Care and Comfort section. Students will be required to be familiar with the techniques of massage, guided imagery, relaxation, and therapeutic touch, as well as the various herbal preparations and remedies that may interact with prescribed medications or therapies of the medical model (National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], 2006).
The purpose of the study undertaken was to determine the extent to which California’s schools of nursing have incorporated holistic nursing practices and complementary and alternative modalities into their curricula. Of the 51 programs included in the study 31 (61%) of the programs stated that they were aware of the new CAM requirements on the NCLEX-RN®. Nearly half (46%) of Americans claim to have used some form of CAM making it a 21 billion dollar industry (Cuellar e. al„ 2003). Yet in spite of CAM’s growing use and importance in the healthcare industry, it is interesting that many schools of nursing in California are tailing to introduce nursing students to this aspect of healthcare.