Karen Lee Fontaine. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. $40.95. ISBN 0-13-151254-4. 510 pp.
Complementary and Alterative Therapies for Nursing Practice provides a survey of topics related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Subjects include alterative healing systems and specific therapies. Given the widespread use of CAM in healthy individuals and those dealing with acute and chronic illness, the advanced practice nurse will find this text to be a useful addition to the reference shelf.
As the author indicates, the traditional focus of the nursing profession on the whole person, rather than a set of symptoms or a diseased organ, matches well with the holistic approach of many CAM therapies. Nurses are often very open to the use of CAM and interested in discovering ways in which they can incorporate CAM safely and efficaciously into their practice. This text, which provides concise information on a range of therapies, will make it easier to acquire that information.
The text is organized with an initial unit that describes basic concepts related to CAM healing systems and therapies. The second unit covers Systematized Health Care Practices (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, and Native American Healing and Curanderismo) and subsequent units cover Botanical Healing, Manual Healing Methods, Mind-Body Techniques, Spiritual Therapies, and Other Therapies. The arrangement of information in each chapter is clear and consistent, including a summary of principles, treatment options, research, and integrated nursing practice. The research section of each chapter highlights the status of research in the area enabling the reader to better evaluate the evidence for each therapy, whereas the integrated nursing practice section provides advice on how the nurse can either incorporate therapies into practice or obtain more information or training. Key information is highlighted in tables, figures, and boxes for easy readability and accessibility. Particularly useful are the boxes entitled "Using Research to Heal," which provide in-depth discussion of a specific study including other questions the research raises and how the information can be used in practice. Also fun and interesting is the "Try This" box, which offers instruction in simple techniques that the reader can experience.
This book would be a valuable resource to the advanced practice nurse as a reference when client poses questions about using CAM or when the advanced practice registered nurse would like more information before recommending a specific therapy such as meditation training for stress management or acupuncture for pain.