Cypriot nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards alternative medicine

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Healthcare Practices

Background:

• Alternative treatments are increasingly explored within healthcare systems globally.
• Understanding healthcare professionals' perspectives is crucial for integrating novel therapies.
• Nurses' knowledge and attitudes significantly influence patient care and treatment adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge and attitudes of registered nurses in Cyprus regarding alternative treatments.
• To explore the prevalence of alternative treatment use among Cypriot nurses.
• To identify factors influencing nurses' engagement with alternative medicine.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-report questionnaire.
• Two hundred registered nurses from public hospitals in Cyprus were randomly selected.
• Data from 138 completed questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (SPSS 17.0).

Main Results:

• Over one-third of surveyed nurses reported using alternative treatments at some point.
• 75.9% of nurses with knowledge of specific alternative methods reported using them in clinical practice.
• Nurses who had personally used alternative treatments were more likely to use them in practice (p=0.006) and showed increased interest in learning more (p=0.006).

Conclusions:

• Cypriot nurses generally possess familiarity with and interest in alternative medicine.
• Personal experience with alternative treatments correlates with increased clinical use and knowledge acquisition.
• Specialized education, training, and legislative frameworks are essential for the wider acceptance of alternative medicine in nursing practice.