Similarities in the meta-paradigm of nursing and traditional healing: an attempt to contribute to the integration of traditional medicine and Western medicine in Africa

Abstract

The meta-paradigm of a discipline represents the global perspective of such a discipline and serves as an indication of how the practitioners of the discipline view the primary phenomena that are of interest to them. In studying the meta-paradigm of nursing and the principles of traditional healing interesting similarities are found. As in the case of nursing, traditional healing focuses on the person as a holistic human being. Man, in his totality, is viewed as an interacting being who is constantly not only in interaction with his environment, but who has an influence on the environment and the people around him. Diseases are not only associated with the physical parts of the body, but also with socio-cultural and supernatural aspects. Therefore, the environment has an influence on the occurrence of diseases in traditional healing as well as in nursing. The importance of the role that supernatural aspects in the environment play is emphasised in traditional healing. The balance between the person and his environment has to be secured in order to maintain health. In nursing as well as in traditional healing the promotion of health is considered as very important. Health promotion can be accomplished through health education in the case of nursing, or by protecting the person against harm through rituals in the case of traditional healing. Health is described, both in nursing and traditional healing, not only as the absence of disease, but rather as the well-being of the person. Not only are the similarities between the meta-paradigm of nursing and the principles of traditional healing an interesting research field, but it may also have specific implications for the development of an integrated healthcare system in Africa, where its peoples very often visit both traditional healers and Western-trained doctors and nurses in cases of illness.