Complementary and Alternative Therapies NCLEX Questions
Over the last decade, there has been an exponential growth in the use of complementary and alternative therapies. This poses many ethical dilemmas for nurses to navigate; nurses should become informed on both the advantages and drawbacks to using these approaches and be ready to discuss them with patients or clients.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to a range of treatments not covered in traditional medical care, such as acupuncture, yoga, aromatherapy and meditation. Some of these practices are classified as alternative medicine due to the lack of scientific evidence backing their claims.
These types of therapy have the potential to be dangerous or detrimental to some individuals. Be sure to inform your doctor of any medications, supplements or remedies you are currently taking or have tried in the past.
These therapies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration like allopathic medications are. Therefore, they may contain harmful ingredients or ingredients that cannot be recognized by your immune system, leading to allergic reactions or other side effects in some individuals.
Beyond the potential side effects, some complementary therapies are not covered by insurance. This makes them more expensive for patients to access, especially if they require long-term treatment plans or are in poor health.
Nursing has a longstanding tradition of caring for culturally diverse individuals and communities. To provide culturally competent nursing care, nurses must be aware of the ethical implications associated with complementary and alternative therapies.
Some of the most pressing ethical concerns when using complementary and alternative therapies arise from nursing’s relationship with culturally diverse clients. Nurses frequently face questions related to client sensitivity, clashing health care values, and justice as an ethical principle.
The greatest concern is the potential harm that could be done to patients and nurses when practice scope is unclear, or potentially hazardous therapies are used. For instance, some of these drugs have been known to alter immune function; thus they should not be prescribed in immunocompromised individuals.
