ALTERNATIVE NURSING PRACTICE Creating Inroads for Integrative Healthcare

Reviews of holistic nursing websites support the premise that registered nurses are incorporating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into their practices outside of traditional nursing occupations (http://www.naturalhealers. com). While some institutions have the monetary capital to encourage nurses to integrate CAM practices into their workplace, most do not. For many administrators it is a simple equation: If insurance covers the cost of complementary and alternative modalities, the scientifically researchable ones are integrated; if insurance doesn’t pay for them, they are not incorporated. Scores of individuals pursue careers in nursing because they yearn to work in a compassionate manner, but traditional nursing positions are often perceived as stressful and the environments uncaring. In some workplaces, the nurses’ quality-ofliving perspectives are often overlooked or not considered important. Many studies have addressed the dissatisfaction that nurses find in their jobs, and some quit their mainstream nursing positions so that they can work in an environment that is more satisfying. These departing nurses will tell you that they want to find an outlet to more ALTERNATIVE NURSING PRACTICE Creating Inroads for Integrative Healthcare