International project about the introduction of traditional Knowledge on medicinal plants among students of health sciences

Resumen

The introduction of Traditional Knowledge (TK) among students of health sciences (nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, dentistry, etc.) can contribute to the creation of competencies for health planning. In addition, the TK employed by a professional is a tool to promote health and intergenerational dialogue by improving the quality of care for our elders. Thus, the encounter between generations at different educational stages can enhance the life experience of older people and the development of competences as a result of that interaction. On the other hand, it is important to consider that there are risks for self-medication and interactions, which can be derived from two factors: the rise of alternative and complementary therapies, with the mistaken belief of associating natural with innocuous, and the traditional consumption of plants that are still collected in our fields. Based on this approach, a research project is being developed within the framework of the Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre (IPP) in Portugal during the 2021-2022 academic year, with the participation of a multidisciplinary team belonging to various institutions.This communication describes the first phase of the project where its aims are: (i) to offer a new and useful vision of traditional knowledge from the healthcare and epidemiological point of view to nursing degree students, (ii) to value the role of the area of History of Science —nursing and medicine— through ethnopharmacology and (iii) to identify the curricular needs related to knowledge in phytotherapy, alternative and complementary therapies of the student of health sciences. The method used is based on field and desk research, two teaching activities, and the application of a questionnaire to 46 first-year nursing students of the Escola Superior de Saúde of IPP. The first of the teaching activities is developed around the new challenges of the nursing profession, continuing with another which is more practical, in order to analyse useful cases on the consumption of medicinal plants and their approach in Health Sciences. Through the applied questionnaire, preliminary data are obtained about the knowledge that nursing students have concerning medicinal plants, the reasons that justify their use, as well as their beliefs about the quality, trust and safety that they possess. It can be noted that most students do not use medicinal plants for lack of knowledge about phytotherapy. It is striking that 16% believe that their consumption does not involve significant risks; those same students think that trusting that plants can solve health problems implies having pseudoscientific attitudes. They were shown photographs of plants for their identification, and they acknowledge having seen them in the field, but most do not know their uses and names. For example, 32.6% identify Hypericum perforatum, but only 4% know its medicinal use and in two cases they associate the species with a vernacular name (Hipericão, Erva de São João). The results obtained provide the basis to continue introducing seminars that contribute to the development of competencies around the management of medicinal plants in future health professionals with interests in the field of health care.