Question

Andrews & Boyle, Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care, 7th Edition

A 12-year-old Chinese American male arrives at the clinic with his mother and presents with coughing and wheezing. Family members have been using coining, cupping, and moxibustion to dispel the “bad wind” and restore balance. However, the condition of the patient has deteriorated, and these traditional methods have failed to alleviate the fever, cough, and dyspnea. An x-ray is obtained and shows evidence of pneumonia.

1. How does the nurse assess if a patient and/or family are using complementary or alternative healing modalities before or during hospitalization?
2. How does the nurse determine if complementary or alternative healing modalities are helpful, harmful, or neutral to the patient’s healing/recovery?
3. Compare and contrast the philosophical assumptions, types of healing interventions, and categories of healers associated with the Yin/Yang belief system, which posits that health and well-being are attained when there is harmony or balance.
4. Where in your local or state community would you go to determine the educational preparation and licensure (if required) of acupuncturists and others with traditional healing skills? Where do traditional healers reside in your local or state community? Why do patients seek alternative and complementary healing?
5. How can traditional healers work collaboratively with Western biomedical healers?

Answer 1

1. The patient's family can be questioned for medical history details as it important to follow up with the already existing treatments plans. however techniques like cuppping and coining leave marks on the skin that can be determined
2. Complementary or alternative healing modalities are helpful, harmful, or neutral to the patient’s healing/recovery can be evaluated by monitoring the patient carefully as well as comparing the rate at which the patient is healing with allopathy and traditional means. techniques like coining, cupping
3. The concepts of yin- yang empahasizes on the balance that is required to be maintained. These techniques assume that defiencies of either yin or yang can lead to an imbalance in the body.  therefore this concept in mind even the body needs to maintain a balance to remain healthy. such ideas can have a positive impact on the patients health. there are many physiological
4. traditional healers and accupuncturist are allied with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), which is recognized by the US Department of Education. therefore a certified doctor or practisioner should only be dealing with acqupuncture treatments.  Traditional healers can be found at healing centres present at many locations in the state. Patients generally seek for such alternate treatment measures as they prove to have lesssr side effects as compared to any formulation availaible commercially.
5. In the current scenario, there are many commercially available drugs in the market as well as natural products from plants etc. Traditional believes that are not harmful to the human system and deals with the acupuncture points etc can be a great merger with allopathic medicines if a connecting link is found. to state an example  Xuebijing (XBJ) injection, a  formulation composed of five medicinal herbs can be affective against pneumonia. Keeping in mind the strong believes of the patient as well as also practices like the  moxibustion etc if a treatment is planned according to the condition of the patient, there can be treatments with less side effects possible to obtain.