Nursing Students' Willingness to Use Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Patients: Istanbul Survey

Abstract

It is important for student nurses to be knowledgeable of the complementary and alternative therapies and to provide accurate information to both cancer patients and other health care professionals. This study examined the nursing students' willingness to use these therapies, availability of sources of information, use of the therapies for self care, opinions about the integration of these therapies into nursing curriculum, and analyzed the differences among the responses. A self-administered questionnaire was offered to 640 nursing students in Istanbul, descriptive statistics were used, and comparisons among responses were made with chi-square test. Willingness to use for cancer patients was highest for nutritional therapy (76.1%), breathing therapies (74.5%), and massage and manipulation-Tui Na, in which pressure and touch are applied to the body (71.9%). Use of information sources was highest for nutritional therapy (75.6%), breathing therapies (71.9%), and massage and manipulation-Tui Na (62.3%). Over half of the nursing students used music therapy (54.2%), and massage and manipulation-Tui Na (53.6%) for self-care. Breathing therapies (87.2%) were the most desired therapy chosen to be included in nursing curriculum. The statistically significant differences were found among the responses related to use five therapies for care and related to desired three therapies to be included in nursing curriculum. Although students had not previously been exposed to these therapies use with oncology patients, many of students expressed a desire to integrate therapies learning into nursing curriculum. The more student nurses document high risk patients, the more effective strategies will be developed by other health care professionals.

Non-pharmacological interventions for pain management used by nursing students in Turkey

“…In Turkey, despite widespread consumer use, there have only been two studies of nursing students on CAM. In one study related to nursing schools, Öztekin et al [18] surveyed 640 nursing students, and noted that approximately half of the students used alternative therapies, which included massage, music therapy, and nutritional therapy. A previous study conducted by Uzun and Tan [19], which dealt with nursing students' (n = 276) knowledge of CAM therapies, found that students held positive opinions about CAM therapies, but their personal knowledge of them was limited.…”

A hospital-based survey on the perception of music therapy among nurses and midwives

“…Hessig et al (26) also showed that education can increase the knowledge of nurses and integration on complementary therapies including music therapy. In a survey of 640 nursing students in Istanbul, participants expressed a desire to integrate music therapy into nursing curriculum (27). The participants' knowledge on the effect of music therapy was generally consistent with the literature.…”

Exploring Music Consumption by Nursing Students and Their Disposition to Apply Music Therapy in the Future Professional Practice

“…Developing a knowledge base on music therapy during undergraduate nursing education is important and helps student nurses to proceed from beginner status to expert status in nursing graduation. Then, student nurses may be able to determinate which type of music would be more appropriate for patients and for themselves and offer recommendations accordingly (Oztekin et al 2007).…”

“…Many nursing researchers have considered including education on alternative complementary therapies as music therapy in the nursing curriculum (Oztekin et al 2007;Mei-Ying et al 2004;Dutta et al 2003). Students reported the importance of curricular change for fully integrating alternative therapies in nursing programs at all levels.…”

“…Finally, this study shows that 96% of the respondents would be willing to use music therapy in their future professional activity and most of the students (99%) believed that music therapy would contribute to a good death in a patient receiving palliative care. Communication between nursing students, nursing instructors, music therapists and other health care professionals should be initiated for a better understanding of patients' choices with regard to treatment options (Oztekin et al 2007).…”