Objective: To provide an understanding of Hong Kong registered nurses' personal and professional use of complementary and alternative medicine.
Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire study.
Participants: Registered nurses who were members of the Hong Kong College of Nursing were invited to participate.
Main outcome measures: Demographic data of the respondents, prevalence of personal and professional use of complementary and alternative medicines, including their use for detailed clinical conditions.
Results: A total of 187 nurses participated in this study. Nearly four fifths (80%; 95% confidence interval, 74-86%) of the participants had used at least one form of complementary/alternative medicine. In addition to the personal use of such treatment, over two fifths (41%; 95% confidence interval, 34-48%) had recommended at least one form of complementary/alternative medicine to their patients. These included bone-setting (20%), Chinese remedial massage (tuina, 19%), and meditation (19%). Specifically, registered nurses recommended acupuncture or acupressure to patients with musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain, or headaches/migraines.
Conclusions: Personal use and professional recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine by registered nurses in Hong Kong is substantial. Registered nurses played an active role in advising such treatment for their patients based on their personal knowledge of perceived benefit in specific conditions. Further investigations with a larger sample size should focus on registered nurses' educational needs in respect of complementary and alternative medicine and the advice they recommended.