Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Integrating into the Nursing Practice

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Recommended: Which complementary therapies are most likely learned and applied by the nurse

Complementary and Alternative Medicine:

Integrating into the Nursing Practice

Complementary alternative medicines (CAMs) are not a new-fangled medical practice that has recently come out (Bennett, 2009). Several complementary alternative medicine therapies are; homeopathy, aromatherapy, touch therapy, and music therapy, these therapies named here is just a small number of therapies that are out there, and has been around for two decades according to (Matthew, Whedon, & Weeks, 2011). This paper will explore the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and how the ACO could possibly benefit the healthcare system and nursing practice (Matthew et al., 2011). In the conclusion of this paper, it will point toward the fact that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) does in fact, have a place in today’s nursing practice and healthcare systems.

With this in mind, our economy in the United States (U.S.), over the past decade has gone into a major decline. Furthermore, there has been an escalated cost in healthcare; new proposals that would reduce healthcare spending/cost and a continued growing trend involving the use of Cam (Matthew et al., 2011). Because of the economy, jobs and insurance benefits were lost. Employees were laid off and offered Cobra benefits in order to preserve their medical insurance. The only problem was that Cobra insurance was twofold what they were paying.

Legislation that supports the establishment of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs, 2009) was recently enacted into law as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and in 2012 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin contracting with the ACOs (Matthew et al., 2011 pp. 669).

The ACO would have a larg...

... middle of paper ...

...tive medicine and the search for knowledge by conventional health care practitioners. Contemporary Nurse, 33(1), 41-49. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0364

McCreery, H. (2010). Integrative medicine: Combining conventional with complementary

to improve patient care. ONS Connect, 25(11), 6-9. Retrieved from http://cinahl.com/cgi- bin/refsvc?jid=3344&accno=2010881233

O'Regan, P., Wills, T., & O'Leary, A. (2010). Complementary therapies: a challenge for nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 24(21), 35-39, 5p. Retrieved from http.//cinahl.com/cgi- bin/refsvc?jid=530&accno=2010550203

Sharoff, L. (2008). Holistic nursing and medical-surgical nursing: A natural integration. MEDSURG Nursing, 17(3), 206-208. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy025.nclive.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=15&sid=6fd9027 6-71bf-4359-914c-447052b7b16f%40sessionmgr15&bdata=JnNpd

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