Complementary and Alternative Medicines (Coursework Sample)

Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Professor’s Name
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Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Introduction
Complementary and alternative medicines are of significant concern in healthcare today. CAMs are widely used today in managing many conditions. They are associated with better patient outcomes and improved quality of life among the users. Hospital and state policies determine utilizations of different types of CAMs. However, only a few of CAMs’ effectiveness and efficacy is tested and documented. This paper analyzes what CAMs are, their effectiveness, and their utilization in managing various conditions.
Complementary and alternative medicines are medical practices and products used in conditions not part of the standard regimen. These adjuncts rely on evidence and not scientific knowledge (Herman et al., 2017). Nurses must be aware of these CAMs due to their widespread use and importance. In addition, they should also be aware of the most used therapies and those allowed by their institutions for legal purposes. They should also be in a position to teach the patients and evaluate their effectiveness. Nurses have a role in patient education, and that includes teaching patients about CAM. However, they lack proper training and education on CAMs. Lack of training and poor interprofessional collaboration are the leading challenges to the use of CAMs. Without the proper knowledge, nurses cannot educate patients effectively or evaluate the effectiveness of these CAMs hence less utilization of CAMs.
End of Life
Palliative care is the care given to a patient suffering from a terminal illness and includes physical, emotional, and spiritual interventions. Palliative care aims to help patients achieve a quality life as they attempt to treat or manage the illness. Hospice care, also care of the dying, refers to care given to the patient to make them feel better and cope with their situation during their last days of life.
During hospice care of a patient, nurses play an integral role. The conventional roles of a nurse, such as evaluation, assessment, drug administration, and assistance with activities of daily living, still apply. A nurse carries out the holistic care of a patient at this time. They support the patient and their family emotionally during the end of life. The end of life involves emotional changes from the patient and their family. They also assess the caregiver’s needs and communicate them to the care team. The nurse leaders should ensure that other necessary services during end-of-life care are available. They collaborate with other leaders to ensure activities as last office practices are dignified. Nurse leaders ensure the nurses educate the families on the end of life and provides insight, for example, on how to support the giver, what to expect, and how to give their loved one the best care.
Massage therapy entails kneading, pressing, or rubbing the body muscles and soft tissues to normalize them. Massage therapy alone or massage combined with meditation is an effective CAM in hospice care (Havyer et al., 2020). Massage therapy produces an effective relief to unrelenting physical pain such as muscle and joint pain. During meditation, a patient can focus on the present, thus avoiding thoughts about their pain and anxiety, improving the quality of life they lead. According to Havyer et al. (2020), massage therapy is an effective pain and other symptoms management method in patients with inadequately controlled symptoms using standard therapy. Massage therapy reduces pain, depression, and anxiety and hence a vital CAM to the patients during end-of-life care.
Mental health
The military forces face violent and brutal scenes which interfere with their psychological health. Most suffer from mental health issues, and nurses play an integral role in caring for these patients (Herman et al., 2017). They majorly have post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and major depression. Mental healthcare nurses utilize their knowledge and skills to deal with all mental health patients. They offer standard nursing care and ensure mental health patients receive all their needs. Mental health nurses can improve the mental health of veterans and their caregivers. They also teach the family members holistic care hence enhancing the better quality of care. Mental health nurses are thus integral in managing veterans with mental health issues.
In mental healthcare, CAMs are used for symptom relief, meet patients’ demands, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions. According to Wemrell, Olsson, and Landgren (2020), mindfulness effectively reduces depression and anxiety. Mindful meditation/ mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy is an effective CAM in managing veterans with mental health issues such as major depression. Mindfulness helps the patient focus their thoughts from physical and emotional pain by focusing on the present. Mindfulness helps cope with emotions by making the patients aware of them instead of being overwhelmed by them. Mindfulness is a promising therapy in elevating mood also.
Emerging and Re-emerging Issues
Cancer is a leading cause of death in the US and globally. In 2018, cancer caused more than 9.6 million deaths, with the organs most affected being lung, liver, stomach, and bowel (de Martel et al., 2020). In addition, the total medical costs for cancer are over $80 billion annually; hence it is a significant issue of health concern. Cancer affects patients of all ages and is associated with high mortality. Only a tiny percentage of people recover from cancer, and currently, it has no cure. In advanced stages, cancer causes excruciating pain and emotional problems to the patient and their families. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are integral in managing excruciating pain in advanced stages of cancer (de Martel et al., 2020). Most often, opioids are the standard therapy in cancer pain management. They are often inadequate hence the need for CAMs.
Nurse leaders have a significant role in managing cancer. They play a significant role in creating disease awareness. Health promotion is very integral in cancer prevention. Nurses should ensure the hospital budget focuses on health promotion. They should also ensure that patients are receiving standard cancer patient care. Nurse leaders, as patient advocates, should ensure chemotherapeutic agents are affordable and available to the patients. In addition, they should ensure their nurses are well educated on cancer management through planning training to ensure patient safety and quality care delivery (de Martel et al., 2020).
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