Nurses' perceptions on the use of complementary therapies in a paediatric oncology setting

Abstract

It is likely that nurses will encounter parents of children who are either using or are keen to use complementary therapies (C.T.) in conjunction with conventional treatment since the use of such therapies is receiving increasingly interest in today's society. This descriptive exploratory research study aimed to explore nurses' perceptions on the use of C.T. as an adjunct to medical treatment in children throughout their cancer journey. The study also intends to explore nurses' awareness of C.T. while investigating whether they perceive C.T. as a beneficial adjunct to standard medical treatment. It enquired about the nurses' usage of C.T. during their care of children with cancer and identified their interests in acquiring training concerning C.T. A semi structured interview was used to collect qualitative data from 10 nurses currently working or had worked in the paediatric oncology unit in the last year. Analysis revealed that the understanding of the term C.T. varied between respondents and only a few common therapies were known to respondents. The usage of C.T. in the setting is minimum however its usage is increasing over time. The C.T. most used is Propolis (a bee product) for the prevention of mouth ulcers. Overall, respondents held favourable opinions on the use of C.T. as an adjunct to conventional treatment. Nurses described both physical and psychological benefits for both children and caregivers through the use of C.T. All nurses valued C.T. but acknowledged their limited knowledge regarding therapies and demonstrated varying interest in readiness to learn about C.T. A correlation was evident amongst nurses who were more knowledgeable about the topic since they mentioned it more to their patients and felt confident in discussing it with them. Health professionals need more information about the various forms of C.T. available and their application in a paediatric oncology setting.