Pharmacists' patterns of use,knowledge, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine

OBJECTIVES: To determine the patterns of use, knowledge, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among pharmacists. DESIGN: Anonymous self-administered survey. SETTINGS: 61st International Congress of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Singapore Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Research Symposium, and retail and hospital pharmacies in Singapore. SUBJECTS: Pharmacists attending the FIP Congress, TCM Symposium, and pharmacists working in retail and hospital pharmacies. OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of use of different types of CAM by demographic attributes, knowledge scores, and attitudinal scores. RESULTS: Of the 430 surveys received, 420 fit the criteria for inclusion. Of the pharmacists, 84.3% reported use of some form of CAM in their lifetime. CAM was used for chronic and acute conditions. There was no difference in use of CAM based on gender and income. The mean score on the knowledge test was 7.23 of 10. Of the pharmacists, 72.6% were moderately satisfied with CAM and 79.4% indicated they would recommend CAM to family and friends. They received information on CAM from books/magazines (64%), friends/family (35.7%), and the Internet (31.4%). Eighty-one percent (81%) of pharmacists felt they had inadequate skills and knowledge to counsel patients on herbal medicine and 90.5% felt the professional curricula should have more components on CAM. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAM among pharmacists is widespread and prevalent. The increased use of CAM necessitates the need for more education. Pharmacists acknowledge that CAM may have a place in health care and accept their role as information providers. There is also a need for reliable sources of information on CAM.     

Nursing faculty members' perceptions, knowledge, and concerns about students with disabilities

This study surveyed nursing program faculty about their perceptions, knowledge, and concerns regarding nursing students with disabilities. Surveys were completed by 88 faculty members in eight programs. Faculty members rated the extent to which they perceived that individuals with different types of disabilities had the ability to be nursing students and professionals; their level of knowledge about how to teach and accommodate students with disabilities; and their level of concern regarding nursing students with disabilities. On a scale from 1 (strong agreement) to 6 (strong disagreement), faculty members' mean ratings of the ability of individuals with disabilities to be successful nursing students and professionals, were 3.2 and 3.4, respectively. On a scale from 1 (low) to 6 (high), faculty members' mean ratings of their knowledge and concerns related to students with disabilities were 2.7 and 4.0, respectively. These results suggest nursing faculty need training regarding nursing students with disabilities.     

Nursing students' attitudes toward AIDS

A study of 177 baccalaureate nursing students was conducted to explore their knowledge, fears, beliefs and other attitudes regarding AIDS. Lazarus' theory related to coping with threatening events provided the theoretical framework. Students with a high fear score were less willing to care for AIDS patients, had higher knowledge scores, and were more homophobic. While 96.6% of the students felt that AIDS patients are entitled to the same care as any other patient, 49% preferred not to care for AIDS patients. Thirty-six percent thought nursing students should not be assigned to care for AIDS patients. Most of the students (70.6%) got their information about AIDS from the media. Nursing faculty must respond by including current, correct information when instructing students about AIDS. Faculty also need to provide opportunities for students to ask questions and share their fears regarding AIDS.     

Nursing faculty and students' attitudes regarding HIV.

A multidisciplinary group of health professional educators examined the faculty and student attitudes related to AIDS in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs and in a dental hygiene program. Results indicated consistent differences in attitudes toward homosexuality and intravenous drug users, AIDS-phobia, AIDS-related work stress, and willingness to work with HIV, homosexual, or intravenous-drug-using patients among faculty, undergraduate, and graduate nursing students, and certificate-level dental hygiene students. Faculty and master's-level nursing students consistently indicated the most positive attitudes and behavioral intentions. A one-year follow-up of a sample of undergraduate students revealed little change in these attitudes or behavioral intentions. Implications of these findings for nursing educators are discussed.     

Nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence: A cross-sectional survey

BackgroundNurses must have adequate knowledge to manage the complexities of urinary incontinence. Nursing students are the nurses of the future, yet little is known about urinary incontinence education in undergraduate nursing programs.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was (a) to assess the knowledge and attitudes of urinary incontinence held by undergraduate nursing students in China and (b) to explore the relationship between knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics.DesignA cross-sectional survey using cluster random sampling.SettingsUndergraduate departments of Nursing within the Faculty of Health Sciences at six Universities, located in different areas of China.ParticipantsA random selection of 6 faculties with a total of 1313 full time undergraduate nursing students completed the survey.MethodsSelf-reported data were collected using two validated questionnaires, the Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale and the Urinary Incontinence Attitude Scale, to access students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence.ResultsOverall urinary incontinence knowledge was poor (49.9%, 15.0/30) and attitudes about urinary incontinence were generally positive (71.7%, 43.0/60). A high level of interest in learning more about urinary incontinence was found. There was a weak correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.135, p < 0.01). There was also a significant positive correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes and nursing students' year of study, urinary incontinence education and training, and formal clinical practicum experience in urology (p < 0.05).ConclusionsChinese nursing students showed poor urinary incontinence knowledge but generally positive attitudes toward urinary incontinence. This study suggests there is a need to examine urinary incontinence content throughout undergraduate nursing curricula in China.     

Medical students' attitudes about complementary and alternative medicine

OBJECTIVE: To compare the attitudes about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of medical students from two different medical schools and at different stages of their medical training (first and third years). DESIGN: Four-group, cross-sectional, self-administered survey study. SETTINGS AND SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eleven (311) students from two British medical schools (Newcastle and London). OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported knowledge of, attitudes about, and beliefs about CAM. RESULTS: Third-year students thought CAM overall was less effective than first-year students and also were significantly less interested in training in CAM techniques. The 43 attitude statements factored into six interpretable factors. A medical school x year ANOVA on the factor scores showed many results consistent with the first part of the study. First-year students seemed more eager to be taught CAM than third-year students, and students at Newcastle were more positive about CAM than those at University College London. CONCLUSIONS: Education at medical school does influence attitudes to CAM. As their orthodox medical training proceeds, medical students seem to increase their skepticism about CAM.     

Physicians' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and their knowledge of specific therapies: a survey at an academic medical center

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of physicians at an academic medical center toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies and the physicians' knowledge base regarding common CAM therapies. A link to a Web-based survey was e-mailed to 660 internists at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, USA. Physicians were asked about their attitudes toward CAM in general and their knowledge regarding specific CAM therapies. The level of evidence a physician would require before incorporating such therapies into clinical care was also assessed. Of the 233 physicians responding to the survey, 76% had never referred a patient to a CAM practitioner. However, 44% stated that they would refer a patient if a CAM practitioner were available at their institution. Fifty-seven percent of physicians thought that incorporating CAM therapies would have a positive effect on patient satisfaction, and 48% believed that offering CAM would attract more patients. Most physicians agreed that some CAM therapies hold promise for the treatment of symptoms or diseases, but most of them were not comfortable in counseling their patients about most CAM treatments. Prospective, randomized controlled trials were considered the level of evidence required for most physicians to consider incorporating a CAM therapy into their practice. The results of this survey provide insight into the attitudes of physicians toward CAM at an academic medical center. This study highlights the need for educational interventions and the importance of providing physicians ready access to evidence-based information regarding CAM.     

Student nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward CAM therapies

Hessig et al (2004) highlight that nurses value complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) but lack the knowledge regarding their application. They suggest that education can affect knowledge and application of CAM in nursing practice. Complementary and alternative therapy input into the pre-registration nursing curriculum is sporadic and higher education institutions need to incorporate CAM therapies more fully into professional education (Department of Health, 2003). This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes student nurses have to CAM therapies and their use in cancer and palliative care. Ethical approval was sought from the ethics committee at the University of Hull. A quantitative evaluative study using a convenience sample of student nurses in their final semester of pre-registration nurse education was used. Data were collected via a questionnaire; the findings demonstrate the respondents' acknowledgement of their limited knowledge of CAM therapies and the study has highlighted the need to continue working towards integrated CAM education into the pre-registration nursing curriculum.     

Students' and faculty members' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management: a descriptive survey

Many basic nursing programs spend little time educating students about pain management. Between the years of 2000 and 2002, a baccalaureate nursing program at a university in central Virginia surveyed sophomore, junior, and senior nursing students using McCaffery's Pain Knowledge and Attitude Survey at the beginning and end of each academic semester. During the same time period, faculty also completed the survey and answered open-ended questions pertaining to the inclusion of pain management in course content. The purposes of this study were to determine the baseline knowledge and attitudes of nursing students and faculty about the science of pain management and to evaluate the content of pain management material and the extent to which it is integrated into the curriculum.     

Nursing faculty's knowledge and attitudes toward persons with AIDS.

The research examined knowledge, fear, homophobia, and the willingness to care for persons with AIDS. The subjects were 45 faculty members from nursing programs in a mid-southern state. The study was an extension of an earlier study by Lester and Beard (1988). A 56-item questionnaire consisting of knowledge and attitude questions was used. Attitude questions were categorized into fear, homophobia, and the intent to give care. With the level of significance set at (p less than .01), homophobia and fear were significantly correlated positively. Knowledge was not significantly correlated with any of the variables. Findings suggest that AIDS education should be directed toward changing attitudes and values by promoting learning in the affective domain.     

The effect of knowledge on nursing students' attitudes toward individuals with AIDS

The purpose of this study was to determine if increased knowledge changes nursing students' attitudes toward individuals with AIDS. A pretest/post-test design was used to administer a questionnaire, developed and validated in the United States, and adapted for use in this study. Subjects were total population of first to fourth year baccalaureate undergraduate nursing students attending a 1-day AIDS workshop. Questions dealt with knowledge and fears concerning AIDS and caring for AIDS patients, and attitudes toward homosexuality and toward the terminally ill. With the level of significance set at (p less than .05), post-test results indicated that all groups of students displayed a knowledge gain (p = .000) and a more positive attitude toward caring for AIDS patients (p = .001), particularly by e, first and third year students (p = .001). Although positive, younger students and students who had cared for AIDS patients were less positive. In this study, AIDS education had a positive influence on attitudes of nursing students. This finding supports the use of education to foster positive attitudes toward AIDS and individuals with AIDS.     

Nursing students' attitudes toward technology: a national study

Nursing students' predispositions toward technology may be a factor affecting their use of technology in educational and clinical settings. A national survey was conducted to collect attitudinal measures toward technology and data on technology instruction to assist educators with developing information technology curricula. Outcomes indicate an overall positive attitude toward technology; however, participants reports of formal education in the use of technology applications are low. This shortcoming should be addressed through enhancement of nursing core curriculum.     

Nursing and medical students' attitudes toward the rights of hospitalized patients

A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure the attitudes of Israeli nursing and medical students toward the rights of hospitalized patients in a cross-sectional study of first and fourth year students. Mean attitude scores were high in all student groups showing strong agreement with theoretical rights. Senior nursing students showed significantly higher scores than first-year nursing students. Eighty-eight percent of all students and 100% of senior nursing students considered a blanket consent procedure inadequate for protecting patient's rights. Senior nursing students assigned responsibility for protecting patients' rights to nurses, doctors, hospital administration, and the patient/family with higher frequency than other student groups.     

Italian oncology nurses' knowledge of complementary and alternative therapies: national survey

Title. Italian oncology nurses’ knowledge of complementary and alternative therapies: national survey. Aim. This paper is a report of a study to investigate the knowledge of Italian oncology nurses in relation to complementary and alternative therapies. Background. In the last decade, the use of complementary and alternative therapies by the general public has increased dramatically. As primary care providers who play a key role in healthcare delivery, it is likely that nurses will be asked about these therapies by their patients. Only if they have an adequate knowledge base, however, can nurses give useful information and counsel patients effectively to allow them to make informed healthcare decisions. Method. A survey was carried out in 2007 with, 270 nurses registered with the Italian Association of Oncology Nursing. A self‐administered questionnaire was used and the response rate was of 57·4% (155/270). Findings. Ninety‐four (60·6%) nurses claimed to have knowledge about complementary and alternative therapies. Over two‐thirds (60·6%, 57/94) reported that books were a primary source of their knowledge. Other common sources included other healthcare workers (50%, 47/94), the Internet (48·9%, 46/94), workshops and seminars (29·8%, 28/94), and formal nursing education (17·0%, 16/94). Only 5·3% (5/94) reported that professional journals were a source of knowledge. During their professional activities, 71·6% (111/155) of the nurses encountered patients using complementary and alternative therapies, while 47·1% (73/155) treated patients asking for information about these techniques. Conclusion. The fact that nurses are responding to demands for these therapies without a solid knowledge base makes it imperative that the nursing curriculum be expanded to include these topics.     

Korean university students' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding: a questionnaire survey

Infant feeding decisions depend on knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to explore Korean university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding by gender and major. This was a cross-sectional comparative study among 341 university students. The instrument was a modified self-administered breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes questionnaire. Female students were slightly more knowledgeable and had somewhat more positive attitudes compared to male students. Students in health-related fields showed more knowledge than students in other disciplines, but their attitudes did not differ in majority. A significant correlation was found between the students’ knowledge and their attitudes.