Pediatric Nurses' Usage and Experience Toward Complementary Health Approaches.

Abstract

The usage of Complementary Health Approaches (CHA) and its popularity have been increasing among both children and pediatric nurses. The aims of this study were to (1) determine the knowledge and usage levels of pediatric nurses about CHA, (2) describe the experiences of nurses about CHA, and (3) evaluate the attitudes of nurses toward CHA. This was multicenter study. A total of 1,450 pediatric nurses who are working at the pediatric departments of different hospitals in Turkey participated in the study between June 2013 and February 2014. Around 1,303 female and 147 male pediatric nurses, in total 1,450, were included in the study. The semi-structured questionnaire had three sections. The first section composed of 14 questions about sociodemographic characteristics. The second section contained seven questions about the nurses' professional practices with respect to CHA. The third section contained eight questions about the nurses' attitudes to CHA. The study revealed that 90.6% of the nurses used CHA, and primarily made use of praying (82.3%), massage (76.6%), and vitamins (60.2%), respectively. Most of the nurses used CHA for relaxation. Approximately half of the nurses did not asked the families of their CHA usage. More than half of the nurses (58.8%) stated that nurses were not responsible for informing patients about CHA. It was found that the nurses had negative experiences with CHA such as allergies, pain, and being upset. The most frequently indicated positive experience was "feeling better both physically and psychologically." It is extremely important that nurses have knowledge about CHA. Nurses should question parents' use of CHA and inform parents about CHA' benefits and potential risks. Considering the personal/professional experiences, it is necessary to evaluate the positive/negative effects of CHA. Research may contribute to increased awareness of the potentially important role of nurses in the delivery of CHA.