alongside more conventional biomedical therapies. Herbs were once a major source of the remedies used in healing. The development of synthetic drugs during the twentieth century largely replaced the use of herbal therapies in nursing practice. This trend is beginning to change again, however, as nurses now encounter patients turned health care consumers who actively seek alternatives to biomedicine, such as herbal therapies. Today's nurse is also becoming more aware of a larger demographic group of patients who continue to use generations-old, plant-based remedies. The guide begins with an introduction to medicinal plants and includes a brief overview of botany, safe use information, and suggestions on how to use the guide in practice. The main body of the guide includes twelve chapters profiling fifty-eight common herbs. Each chapter contains practical information on how to integrate plant-based therapies into patient care. The guide concludes by showing nurses ways they can learn more about the use of plant therapies in holistic practice and includes a sample curriculum for a thirty-two week introductory course on the integrative use of plant therapies.

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