Cultural related complementary therapies: their use in critical care units.
Complementary therapies are becoming widely used in health care in the United States. Most nurses, as are many Americans, are familiar with complementary therapies such as imagery, aromatherapy, massage, and healing touch. Many nurses, however, are not familiar with complementary therapies that are widely used in other countries and cultures. This article delineates reasons necessitating nurses to increase their knowledge about other health systems, provides examples of therapies used in selected cultures, and describes ways in which critical care nurses can incorporate these into the plan of care for patients in critical care units.
Snyder
Mariah
M
University of Minnesota School of Nursing, 6-101 WDH, 308 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. snyde002@umn.edu
Niska
Kathleen
K
D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003422:Critical Care; D003469:Culture; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D009729:Nursing