As a Holistic Clinical Nurse Specialist, I value the technology and medicine that Western medicine can offer for diagnosis and treatment. Having said that, I also value and have enormous respect for what is frequently referred to as CAM or integrative medicine. I believe we can utilize the knowledge of both disciplines in order to maximize our state of well-being; whether our goal is to maintain our current health status or to improve upon an existing condition.

I consider the practice of each discipline as sacred work; their focuses and approaches are simply different. Western medicine is disease and cure centered and looks to correct or repair a symptom or malfunctioning body part with surgery, medications or treatment protocols. Perhaps not as patient-centered as we would like it to be but it does save lives.

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