Shamanism, self-medication and the nurse

Lastno zdravje je tista dobrina, ki se je ljudje zavemo šele takrat, ko ga izgubimo. Za ozdravitev smo pripravljeni poslušati uradno medicino in se vzporedno zatekati tudi k drugim oblikam zdravljenja z željo, da si povrnemo zdravje. Odločitev za konvencionalno, uradno medicino, ali nekonvencionalno, alternativno medicino, je izbira pacienta, ki se ne počuti dobro. Odnos uradne medicine do alternativnih oblik zdravljenja je v glavnem odklonilen, čeprav pacienti radi sprejemajo tudi drugačne oblike zdravljenja. Medicinsko sestro razumemo kot del uradne medicine, kot vezni člen med zdravnikom in pacientom, hkrati pa tudi kot mater, žensko, uporabnico uradne in alternativne medicine. Metodologija raziskovanja: V raziskavi smo uporabili kvantitativno metodologijo dela s strukturiranim anketnim vprašalnikom. Pridobljene podatke smo obdelali z računalniškim programom Excel in Word ter jih prikazali v obliki grafov. Želeli smo ugotoviti poznavanje in uporabo alternativnih oblik zdravljenja ter dileme medicinske sestre, predstavnice uradne medicine ter uporabnice zdravilstva in njenih metod. Rezultati raziskave: Ugotovili smo, da medicinske sestre pomagajo pacientom tudi z zdravilskimi metodami in sredstvi, vendar v manjši meri, kot bi si to želele. Želijo si večjo povezanost med uradno in alternativno medicino. V veliki meri dobro poznajo metode in sredstva alternativne medicine. Sklep: Medicinske sestre za zdravje pacienta uporabljajo metode in sredstva uradne in alternativne medicine. Prizadevati si moramo za poglobljeno sodelovanje med obema vejama medicine in dovoliti uporabljati tiste metode in sredstva alternativne medicine, ki so se izkazale pri povrnitvi in ohranjanju zdravja pacienta.Health is a value which we only become aware of when we lose it. For the sake of recovery we are prepared to obey the official medical science, and turn simultaneously to other alternative forms of treatment, in order to regain our health. The decision whether for the conventional, official medicine on one hand or for the unconventional, alternative methods of medical treatment makes a personal decision of every patient that does not feel well. The attitude of the official, i.e. conventional medicine towards the forms of alternative medical treatment has always been a rather negative one, although patients are generally fond of accepting other, alternative forms of treatment as well. A nurse is considered to be a representative of the official, i.e. conventional medicine, and as some sort of a link between the doctor on one hand, and the patient, on the other. Methods: In the course of our research, we made use of quantitative methods of work based on a carefully structured questionnaire. The data thus achieved were processed by the use of word processing programmes Excel and Word, and depicted in the form of graphs. Our aim was to ascertain the knowledge of and the use of alternative ways of healing and treatment, as well as the dilemmas tormenting the nurses in their roles as representatives of the official, formal medical science on one hand, and users of the alternative medicine and its ways and methods of treating sick people, on the other. Results: We found out that nurses often turn to means of alternative medicine and its methods while helping their patients, though in a much smaller scale than they would like to. They hope for more intense correlations to be established between the official, formal medical science on one hand, and the alternative medical science, on the other. They are familiar to a great extent with the methods and means of the alternative medicine. Conclusion: In the process of treating their patients, nurses apply the means and methods of both the formal and the alternative medicines. We must strive for a more intense cooperation between both two branches of medical science and allow for the use of those methods and means of the alternative medicine that have already proved successful and efficient in the process of regaining and maintaining the patients\u27 health