Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Nursing - Department of Surgical Nursing

Complementary therapy is commonly used by oncology patients to overcome the side-effects of conventional treatment. This therapy has a serious risk for interaction with the conventional treatment if used improperly. The aim of the study was to assess solicitude (including knowledge and attitudes) toward complementary therapy among oncology patients and nursing staff. A descriptive design was utilized to collect the data through a structured interview from convenient sample of 300 adult oncology patients admitted to the Center of Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at Kasr Al Ainy University Hospital through a consecutive six months period. Also 40 nurses providing care for those patients were included in the study. Two tools were developed by the investigator one for patients and the other for the nurses; both contain three sections, demographic, medical data for patients only and knowledge background; knowledge about complementary therapy; attitudes toward complementary therapy. The main findings denote that 89.7 % of the patients used complementary therapy and only 5% had a satisfactory level of knowledge about complementary therapy. 87.7% had a positive attitude toward complementary therapy

Issued also as CD