Aim and objectives: The aim of this study is to 
investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of 
oncology nurses towards CAM in cancer care in Qatar.  
Background: CAM is widely used by patients with 
cancer worldwide. Given the wide use of CAM in cancer 
treatment, cancer authorities have called for an increased 
awareness of CAM modalities among healthcare 
professionals with a focus on safety and efficacy. Among 
healthcare professionals, nurses play a vital role in the 
integration of CAM into cancer care. Few studies have 
explored the attitudes, practice and knowledge of nurses 
towards CAM in cancer care. 
Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. 
Research variables: CAM attitude; knowledge and 
professional practice. 
Methods: An anonymous survey of a sample of 156 
random oncological nurses was conducted at the National 
Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) in Doha, 
Qatar. A semi-structured novel 17-item questionnaire was administered to 156 participating oncology nurses. The 
questionnaire collected information on: respondents’ 
knowledge of complementary therapy; perceived benefits 
and harm of complementary therapy; history of CAM 
recommendation to patients; and finally, interest in 
complementary therapy educational opportunities. 
Results: Our study showed that 11% of respondent 
oncological nurses had never heard about CAM therapy. 
Most nurses had a positive attitude towards CAM and were 
interested in CAM education opportunities.