title: Israeli nurses' attitudes to the holistic approach to health and their use of complementary and alternative therapies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine nurses' attitudes to holistic and biomedical approaches to health care and the correlation between the two and to explore the extent of recommending and using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by nurses and its correlation with attitudes toward the holistic approach to care.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional correlational study, a structured questionnaire was completed anonymously by 213 Israeli hospital-based nurses from various departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses perceived both approaches as critical to optimal health care: a positive correlation emerged of attitudes to the two approaches. Nurses recommended and used CAM extensively; most therapies were recommended and/or used by 70% or more of the respondents. Nurses with more positive attitudes toward holistic care tended to recommend and use CAM to a greater extent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biomedical and holistic approaches are perceived by nurses to coexist within nursing professional boundaries and form a broad basis for optimal health care. Nurses' attitudes to the holistic approach appear to promote recommendation and/or use of CAM in practice. More training in CAM should be offered in nursing educational frameworks and research should continue to establish evidence for CAM's effectiveness.
authors: Jerusalem College of Technology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
authors: Brurya
authors: B
authors: Orkaby
authors: Jerusalem College of Technology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center greenber@jct.ac.il.
authors: Chaya
authors: C
authors: Greenberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000451:nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006694:Holistic Health; D018939:Holistic Nursing; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: attitudes; autonomous practice; biomedical approach; complementary alternative therapy; holistic approach; nursing