The need is currently being increasingly stressed or both practicing and prospective nurses to adapt to the ever changing trend in the healthcare sector in the direction of popular shift to alternative medicine. In the effort to combat sickness and maintain family good health an increasing number of Americans now have recourse to alternative medicine with most healthcare consumers seeking and finding information about alternative therapies on the internet.
Parents and patients will increasingly ask nurses questions on alternative medicine, especially areas where there are ignorant or uncertain about curative or method of use, nurses will increasingly be confronted with professional situations that challenge their knowledge in the area of alternative medicine and which will require them to proactive and initiate dialogues with parents or patients about their use of alternative medicine. Consequently, it has become imperative for nurses in America to seek opportunities for basic education in alternative medicine.
Several opportunities and tools now exist for nurses wishing to acquire education in alternative medicine including web-based research at some popular alternative medicine websites such as the FDA website or the NCAAM website. For practicing nurses, it may be a better option to take advantage of continuing education courses in alternative medicine now that many nursing schools provide courses for a sound knowledge in alternative medicine.
There are a number of schools with close relationships with alternative medicine providers who share information on alternative medicine with the students the schools' web sites. Among these schools is the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona which has medical residency programs in hospitals around the country. Another is the University of Minnesota which provides medical students with an elective course in alternative healing methods at a Hawaiian medical center although students pay their own transportation and living expenses.
There is currently a broad list of natural health degree and alternative medicine schools in the US including online schools and programs offering courses in a wide range of courses which can be sourced from the internet along with admission guidelines.