Complementary Therapies: Are These Really Nursing?
in response to State Boards of Nursing and Scope of Practice of Registered Nurses Performing Complementary Therapies
Dear Editor:
I want to applaud you for publishing Andrew Sparber's article, State Boards of Nursing and Scope of Practice of Registered Nurses Performing Complementary Therapies. This fine article reports the RN scope of practice for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as delineated by various State Boards of Nursing. Clarifying nursing's scope of practice regarding CAM is a HUGE issue of great importance! I know how important it is because I am the Executive Secretary for a non-profit, regional alliance of health care organizations dedicated to developing standards and competencies for CAM modalities for our member institutions. Our alliance membership includes approximately 30 healthcare organizations in four Northern New England states. Knowing what different State Boards of Nursing include in their RN scopes of practice regarding CAM is extremely important for us.
I am also an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and am interested in learning how other APNs are using CAM interventions. Mr. Sparber has been a good source of information for me, and I have appreciated networking via email with him! However, I would also like to hear from other APNs who are using Complementary and Alternative Therapies in their practice. More articles on uses of CAM in hospital settings, nursing research regarding CAM, and CAM certification programs for nurses would be also be appreciated.
Thank you,
Derreth C.Roberts, MS, MSN, ARNP
Integrative Therapies Coordinator
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, NH
itdr@wdhospital.com
