Supportive Care

Integrative Palliative Care: Complementary Medicine in Oncology

Eran Ben-Arye

Yfat Katz

Daphna Wolf

Noah Samuels

palliative care, Paula method, quality of life, integrative medicine, oncology nursing
CJON 2017, 21(3), 290-293. DOI: 10.1188/17.CJON.290-293

This article presents the collaborative effort of two complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) professionals caring for three patients with cancer. The challenges facing the integration of CIM in an oncology setting are addressed, and the collaboration between the two CIM practitioners is discussed. The effect of the combined approach was synergistic, empowering the patients and the CIM practitioners, reducing symptom burdens, and improving quality of life and function.

AT A GLANCE

  • Nurses should consider taking a collaborative approach to providing integrative care and include nonmedical practitioners.
  • Integrative palliative care can reduce the treatment burden of patients with cancer.
  • Nurses can enrich the dialogue of treatment, addressing patients’ needs in supportive cancer care.
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