The Difficulty and Significance of NursingPracticeUsing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Japan’s national healthcare system is based solely on modern medicine. This study aims to clarify the expectations surrounding CAM and the factors hindering the practice of CAM in nursing. The informants for the interview survey were five nurses who have had professional training in aromatherapy. We asked them about their expectations ofCAM and about the difficulty of nursing care as a CAM practitioner. Whether or not informants were using CAM in their work, they understood the difficulty nursesface in attempting to practice CAM therapy.We found thatapproval of the boss and co-workers is indispensable for using CAMin nursing care. In addition, the practitioner must show evidence that the therapy works. Informants spoke of the difficultyofshowing evidence when it is not possible to do a clinical study. On the other hand, the view on the value of CAMnursing may be revisedif nurses can show the evidence for its efficacy and if the therapy can become more widespread.Nursing science may be able to contribute to the evidence, and healthcare system reform could facilitate its wider use.