The Role of Nurse Practitioner in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Define complementary and alternative medicine. Choose one example of complementary and alternative medicine. Describe the nurse practitioner’s role in utilizing your chosen complementary and alternative medicine. Support your answer with evidence-based research.

The Role of Nurse Practitioner in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Define Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary medicine is a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines usually used together with conventional medicine. For example, acupuncture is used during surgery together with other methods to decrease the discomfort experienced by the patient while undergoing surgery. Alternative medicine is described as therapeutic and diagnostic procedures instead of mainstream medicine. Examples of complementary and alternative medicine include herbal medicine, yoga, massage, acupuncture and acupressure, meditation, reflexology, chiropractic, and Ayurvedic medicine. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.

An example of complementary and alternative medicine is using herbal medicine to manage hyperemesis gravidarum among pregnant women. In this application, the nurse’s role includes educating the patient on the potential benefits of herbal medicine, educating the patient on the possible side effects and harmful effects of the drug, and how to administer the medications; the nurse needs to inform the patient that most herbal remedies are not well researched hence they may be harmful to the child and to the mother (Gunaydim & Ozpulat, 2018). Nurses need to have empathy and non-judgment while handling patients using herbal medicine. Good communication and listening skills are crucial to identifying whether a patient chooses conventional medicine. It is essential for the nurses to offer constant follow-up on patients using herbal medicine and to advise on when to return to the clinic in case of harmful side effects.

Conclusion

Alternative and complementary medicine is widely gaining positivity in the world. There has been constant conflict on whether traditional medicine works or not. Most of these practices date back several centuries before mainstream medicine’s invention. As a nurse, being non-judgemental is the best way to understand why the patient chose complementary/alternative medicine.

References

Gunaydm, N, & Ozpulat, F (September 2018). The role of nurses in traditional-modern medicine: New trends & issues proceeding on advance and applied science. The Research Gate Journal 10(1): 3751 Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328623994_The_role_of_nurses_in_traditional-modern_medicine_conflict