Nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and professional use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM): a survey at five metropolitan hospitals in Adelaide
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Using Simulation Models to Train Clinicians in the Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Published on: August 9, 2024
Seyed Afshin Shorofi1, Paul Arbon
1School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, Australia. ashorofi@yahoo.com
Purpose:
To determine nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and professional use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at five metropolitan hospitals in Adelaide, while also investigating the relationships between socio-demographic factors and use of CAM domains.
Method:
Information on nurses' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and professional use of CAM was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics.
Results:
Almost 50% of nurses were using CAM for patients, with mind-body interventions being the most common form of CAM domain used in practice (31.4%). While 59% of nurses were positive about CAM, more than 60% of them had very little or no knowledge of CAM. Nurses' professional use of CAM was also associated with diverse socio-demographic factors, and a positive association was found between the nurses' knowledge and their attitudes towards CAM.
Conclusion:
Nurses have limited knowledge of CAM but remain open towards CAM use. Nurses' positive attitudes towards CAM use could be an indication that they are poised for further integration of clinically approved CAM into nursing care of patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
01:22The Professional Nurse
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
01:27Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:18The Scientific Method in Nursing Process
When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be safely...
01:30National Nursing Organizations II
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...