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Integrating complementary therapies into health care education: a cautious approach
Author(s) -
Richardson Janet
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2001.00554.x
Subject(s) - modalities , multidisciplinary approach , health care , context (archaeology) , diversity (politics) , medicine , engineering ethics , alternative medicine , medical education , sociology , political science , social science , engineering , paleontology , pathology , anthropology , law , biology
• The movement of complementary therapy training and education into higher education in the United Kingdom (UK) and the interest in alternative therapeutic approaches within the health professions presents an ideal opportunity for multidisciplinary teaching and shared learning. The diversity and similarities of complementary therapies and areas of convergence with conventional healthcare practice can be explored. • The recent publication of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology report on complementary and alternative medicine (HL Paper 123) provides a broader context for discussion and makes specific recommendations about regulation, education and research in the UK. • This paper considers the appropriateness of integrating complementary therapies into education for conventional healthcare practitioners, what we should integrate, and when might be the most appropriate time in the education of healthcare practitioners to introduce different therapeutic modalities and their respective philosophical languages. • Rather than present a range of solutions, the paper raises some fundamental issues that are central to the integration of complementary therapeutic approaches. If these issues are neglected as we hurry to incorporate different ‘techniques’ into our conventional practice, we may simply be left with additional tools that we are ill equipped to use.