Pharmacology in Western Medicine

[brella]

I am very interested in becoming a nurse. I am going to start by becoming a CNA first to get my feet wet in the medical field before I take the few pre-requisites I have. But the issue I'm having in my mind is the use of pharmaceuticals in western medicine. I know that drugs are important in order to treat many illnesses and without them the advances in medicine that have been made wouldn't be possible. However, I do believe that we are a society of over-medication. Almost every experience I've had as a patient has resulted in a prescription. I just think that a lot of people don't know that there might be other solutions to explore besides taking a pill. (Such as seeing if a nutrient deficiency is causing the problem) So I'm wondering...as a nurse, would I be able to make a "difference" in this problem? Or would I just kind of have to "deal" with this? I still very much want to be a nurse but I'm interested in preventative medicine and reducing the independence on drugs for everything too. Can anyone shine some light on this subject for me?

[Medic09, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

At first, I don't think there's much you can do as a nurse. AT FIRST. But you will find all manner of nurses who promote alternative treatments as part of holistic care. Actually, where we are in NM, is a great place for it. Family Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives are especially into this stuff. Some of the physicians, too. In fact, I sometimes found it all a bit too touchy-feely for my taste. At UNM, we actually had a few isolated classes where we were asked to just listen to music, and do a bit of guided meditation, and the like, so that we would become aware of more ways to take care of ourselves and our patients. One of my classmates at UNM was a massage therapist. During clinicals I had a patient with intractable pain, so I had her come in and look at him. A little of her massage magic and he was quite a bit more comfortable.

You might, btw, be interested in ACAM.org - American College for Advancement in Medicine. An expert naturopath told me about them when my youngest daughter was pregnant. She wanted only 'natural' care; I wanted her to be seen by someone competent in Western medicine. ACAM is interested in a broad, integrated approach to medicine.

As I say, you're actually in a the right location if you're interested in holistic care and alternative therapies. Start asking around. I bet some of the folks at the nursing school would have ideas for you.

[Music in My Heart]

Well, keep in mind that physicians order treatments... nurses carry out those orders.

Unless you go on to become an NP (and work in a state that doesn't require physician oversight), your ability to make a difference is limited.

That said, nurses are in roles where they have the opportunity to teach patients about nutrition and lifestyle choices that impact their health. In terms of treating specific conditions, though, those decisions are the exclusive domain of the physician or mid-level provider.

[AmaurosisFugax]

Some medication use is far more in America than other Western or developing countries. There is far more ADHD drug use here, yet kids growing up in other countries aren't turning out to be youth offenders or school dropouts more than in America, in fact juvenile delinquency/violence/poor education is less in most other countries. Use of antidepressants & anxiolytics may also be higher in America, partly due to less vacation time, less contact with family, less job security (people in other countries don't move as much & European countries are much smaller anyway, & have more job security due to unions & sometimes the culture is that way); so in the US one often has less lifestyle-related opportunities to deal with depression or anxiety. And as a physician from a developing country once told me, we don't have the luxury to be depressed, life is tough there. However, other than psychiatric & maybe pain medications, there is probably appropriate use of other drugs, unlikely there is overprescribing of diabetes or dysrhythmic or cancer drugs.

[czyja, MSN, RN]

As some of the other posters indicated you might be able to change things if you become and APN. Especially if you work in a practice committed to alternative therapies. My school has offers an NP track with an Alternative/Complementary Medicine focus.

Do however note that a big chunk of your nursing education (both pre and post licensure) will be in the safe administration of drugs. As a student in a med surg ward I give many, many drugs. I am interested in pharmacology so this is fine with me. I also help my patients to deal with pain through distraction, relaxation, and visualization - but only after I have given them the morphine. In an acute care setting the patients are quite ill - they usually need and receive multiple pharmaceutical interventions. There is little room or time for much else.

Have you thought about naturopathic medicine? The training is about as long as it would take for you to be an NP and the practice opportunities available to you might be more to your liking.

[OC85]

Well, keep in mind that physicians order treatments... nurses carry out those orders.

Unless you go on to become an NP (and work in a state that doesn't require physician oversight), your ability to make a difference is limited.

That sums it up perfectly, I think.

[i happen to agree with you, about over medicating, though. You'd be surprised, for example, just how many prescriptions can effectively be replaced by a little MJ. ]

[brella]

What is MJ??

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Personally?

Yes, I advise/teach patients about their prescribed drugs, medical regimen, side effects and other things.

But it doesn't stop me from advocating for "alternatives" (i.e increase exercise, change diet etc.).

E.g.: "Your doctor has prescribed Simvastatin to help control your cholesterol. (After explaining the drug, action, side effects etc.) - Now, while it's important that you take this medication as prescribed; you'd be doing yourself a world of good by modifying your dietary habits.

"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure".

What is MJ??

Marijuana.

cheers,

[brella]

Marijuana.

cheers,

Oh hahaha. I didn't see the little ":smokin:" in the previous entry.

Awesome

[OC85]

Oh hahaha. I didn't see the little ":smokin:" in the previous entry.

Awesome

Heh, ever since I saw that icon, I've been waiting for an excuse to use it.

Best. Smiley. Ever.

Seriously, though, I really do agree with your point about over medicating. While I really do believe that, for many people, marijuana can replace a lot of prescriptions [particularly for pain management], I think it goes way farther than that. Roy Fokker mentioned changes in diet and excercise....Those two factors alone, I think, can have such a profound effect on one's overall health, that a balanced diet and adequate amounts of exercise would prevent many of the health problems that require a prescription from ever happening in the first place. These two factors, I think, have a larger negative effect on the general health of the American people [as a whole] than almost anything else I can think of.