Community receptiveness to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Attitudes, usage, and perceived resource needs of nurses and the public at large (Kentucky)

An exploratory study was conducted to assess the attitudes and usage of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by nurses (N = 138) and the public at large (N = 414) in the Louisville area. In addition, information on demographics and what CAM techniques participants were interested in learning more about was gathered. In participants, prayer was the most common CAM method practiced by both nurses (54.3%) and used by the public at large (66.9%). Almost three-fourths of nurses indicated that they would be very likely (28.3%) or somewhat likely (43.5%) to use a free CAM resource center. Almost half of the public survey participants indicated that they would be very likely to use (13.3%) or somewhat likely to use (29.5%) a free CAM resource center. This study suggests there is a great deal of participant use of CAM methods and interest in these techniques, which is consistent with other literature available on this topic. It way determined that a free community CAM resource center would indeed be utilized and should, therefore, be created. Implications of this dissertation. and future research suggestions are discussed.