Complementary therapy in critical care settings: a review of surveys and implications for nurses

Critical care nurses have been leaders in this field and need to further expand their influence in the work environment and healthcare system. The time is ideal for initiating meaningful system-wide changes in policy and practice. This review provides an historical context of surveys conducted in a variety of critical care settings in this country. It is important for nurses to become familiar with these studies to communicate better with others and make recommendations based on research. Critical care nurses can maintain their lead by becoming principal investigators in this area of research. In this day and age there is no reason to dismiss or arbitrarily evaluate the use of CAM. Consumer use does not end when crossing over the threshold of a healthcare setting. The focus should be equally spread over safety issues and modalities that can enhance an individual's quality of life. The staff has an ethical and legal responsibility to be aware of and knowledgeable about any healthcare modality practiced by their patients regardless of whether "sufficient" randomized, double-blind controlled studies have been completed.