Developing an integrated baccalaureate nursing education program infusing complementary/alternative therapies into...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Holistic Health
• Complementary and Alternative Therapies (CAT)

Background:

• Traditional nursing curricula often lack comprehensive content on complementary and alternative therapies (CAT).
• Integrating CAT promotes a holistic approach to patient care and nurse well-being.
• There is a need for structured methods to incorporate CAT education into nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a curricular model for integrating CAT content into nursing education.
• To outline core CAT competencies and nursing-specific subcompetencies.
• To demonstrate the application of CAT in undergraduate critical care nursing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a curricular model by the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.
• Identification of core CAT competencies and nursing subcompetencies.
• Integration of CAT content across various levels of the nursing curriculum.

Main Results:

• The proposed model facilitates the systematic integration of CAT into nursing education.
• Specific CAT interventions are suggested for managing patient symptoms in critical care.
• The model addresses the importance of safe and effective CAT incorporation into nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• An integrated curriculum is essential for holistic nursing education that includes CAT.
• The presented model provides a framework for nursing schools to incorporate CAT.
• Educating nurses on CAT promotes enhanced patient care and lifelong self-care practices.