The role of nurses in integrative and complementary practices: na integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To identify, through a search in national and international literature, which Integrative and Complementary Practices in Health (PICS) the nurse is using in care, since in Brazil the Federal Council of Nursing (COFEN) regulates as a specialty and/ or professional qualification in alternative therapies. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review. The search took place in the BDENF, LILACS, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. Results: The final sample consisted of 26 texts. Among the 12 countries in which the studies were published, the United States of America and Brazil stand out in number of publications. Discussions: Among the PICS found, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) stands out, however, there is still little exploration of the 12 therapies approved and recognized by COFEN. Furthermore, sufficient knowledge is needed to exercise any nursing care and this is inherent to the professional who must constantly improve. Conclusion: The autonomy of nurses has been expanded with the support of COFEN and proven, according to studies in this review that show nurses using the PICS. However, there is still a lot of space to be occupied by nursing, which must increasingly acquire elementary knowledge.