Nurses' responses to people with cancer who use complimentary and alternative medicine

Abstract

There is a growing demand for complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) amongst people with cancer. This study aims to describe how nurses' respond to people with cancer who use CAMs, and the factors which may contribute to these different responses.
A grounded theory approach was employed. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses who were working in cancer settings.
The core category which emerged from this study was "nurses’ responses towards patients who use CAMs". Nurses respond in a variety of ways to patients who use CAMs. They include: open, sceptical, and ambivalent responses. A range of factors which influence the way nurses respond were also identified. These include the ambiguous definitions of CAM, nurses’ personal philosophies, life experiences, evidence of the therapy’s effectiveness, impact on patients, the motives of patients who use CAM and organisational culture. Several implications for nursing education and practice are identified from these findings.