The Implementation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine within Elderly Care: Qualitative Research
Gerlikaite, Greta (2019)
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019070617638
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019070617638
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this study is to widen the knowledge about CAM therapies in Lithuania within elderly care. This study intended to reveal nurses’ knowledge about CAM therapies, motivation to use them. This study revealed what types of CAM are used by the nurses within elderly care and what the nursing attitude is towards CAM within elderly care.
The data collection instrument used in this study was semi-structured interviews that were conducted with five nurses. Interviews were analysed using content analysis. Three main themes were identified: “lack of knowledge, but personal experience”, “nursing attitude towards CAM” and “use and challenges of CAM within the elderly”. The study results show that nurses have a lack of educational knowledge about CAM, but have personal experience using it. Nurses have a positive attitude towards the use of CAM within the elderly, having the probability to enhance elderly well-being. Nurses in their work use mind-body therapies, biologically based therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies and Kneipp therapy that is discussed in results. Challenges experienced by nurses in relation to using CAM is lack of staff, time and lack of clear regulations. This study shows that even though nurses do not receive educational knowledge about CAM, they still use quite much of CAM therapies in their work with the elderly, because they have the attitude that it has the probability to enhance elderly well-being. These findings go in line with Watson’s theory of caring (2008) that was used as the theoretical framework of this study. It might be argued that use of CAM within elderly in Lithuania could be based on nurses’ cultural knowledge and caring that goes from one generation to another and nurses use different CAM therapies not even realizing it themselves.
The data collection instrument used in this study was semi-structured interviews that were conducted with five nurses. Interviews were analysed using content analysis. Three main themes were identified: “lack of knowledge, but personal experience”, “nursing attitude towards CAM” and “use and challenges of CAM within the elderly”. The study results show that nurses have a lack of educational knowledge about CAM, but have personal experience using it. Nurses have a positive attitude towards the use of CAM within the elderly, having the probability to enhance elderly well-being. Nurses in their work use mind-body therapies, biologically based therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies and Kneipp therapy that is discussed in results. Challenges experienced by nurses in relation to using CAM is lack of staff, time and lack of clear regulations. This study shows that even though nurses do not receive educational knowledge about CAM, they still use quite much of CAM therapies in their work with the elderly, because they have the attitude that it has the probability to enhance elderly well-being. These findings go in line with Watson’s theory of caring (2008) that was used as the theoretical framework of this study. It might be argued that use of CAM within elderly in Lithuania could be based on nurses’ cultural knowledge and caring that goes from one generation to another and nurses use different CAM therapies not even realizing it themselves.