The national council of the Order of Nurses has just taken a strong position against “unconventional health practices” and sectarian abuses. In a press release published on December 18 on its website, it warns of numerous practices which have never proven their effectiveness and can turn out to be “questionable, even dangerous”, in particular by exploiting the vulnerability and beliefs of patients. The document recalls that nurses’ mission is to practice care “based on data acquired from science”, must not “advise or propose to the patient or those around him, as beneficial or without danger, a remedy or an illusory process or insufficiently tested” and that “any practice of charlatanism” is “prohibited” to them.
In addition to the press release, the Order of Nurses has published twelve information sheets on twelve “unconventional” practices: art therapy, auriculotherapy, biological decoding, fasciatherapy, Ericksonian hypnosis, anthroposophical medicine, integrative medicine, mindfulness meditation – Mindfulness, naturopathy, reflexology, sophrology And transgenerational therapy. “These sheets are designed to provide patients and nurses with detailed knowledge about these practices, with particular emphasis on the scientific bases and possible risks,” indicates the president of the Order of Nurses, Patrick Chamboredon. Interview.
L’Express: Why do you believe that holding this position is the mission of the Order of Nurses?
Patrick Chamboredon: What I hope is that our profession will be able to disseminate data acquired through science and apply good practices despite the difficulties we may encounter. In the world of health, the role of nurse is very specific. For example, home practice is common. We witness many things, the intimacy of patients and face the “daily reality” of supporting patients in their life and health journeys. Sometimes, we encounter patients who have very serious pathologies and for whom we know that there is no therapeutic solution, but who ask us to be proactive. This is one of the reasons why we absolutely wanted to detail the different practices, indicate whether they have demonstrated their effectiveness or not and specify whether there are any deviations listed. The goal is both to help nurses see things more clearly and to be able to better help and guide patients, but also to avoid peddling “false medicine”.
These sheets also aim to try to sort out the practices that work and those that do not, and above all to help patients, to ensure that there is no loss of opportunity for them. It is therefore essential that professionals are as well informed as possible and able to alert when they see that certain patients are not – or poorly – taken care of.
You defend a strong position, how was it born, what are your inspirations?
This came about when the Ministry of Health launched a working group on unconventional care practices. [en juin 2023, NDLR]. At the beginning, we found ourselves very helpless because we had not worked on the subject and therefore had no material of our own to think about. Our relations with the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes) had, moreover, become very distant since it was no longer under the control of Matignon but of the Ministry of the Interior.
So we took the problem head on. We organized training, meetings and reconnected with Miviludes with whom we signed an agreement in order to display a common position aimed at improving information for professionals. We also worked in close collaboration with institutions, with the NoFakeMed collective [qui regroupe de nombreux professionnels de la santé qui lutte depuis des années contre les “fausses médecines”, NDLR] with whom we also co-signed a column published on Monday last, or with the Study Group of the Sectarian Phenomenon (GéPS), recognized for its expertise on the subject.
You also published a video last September on your YouTube channel. We see you there alongside NoFakeMed and GéPS. Why did you post this video and how did it help you?
We wanted to convey the message of our order which is: we trust science. But this video was also produced for educational purposes, which is essential, particularly because our profession is increasingly science-oriented. The video has had nearly 10,000 views, most of which, I think, have been from nurses.
The video also reports on the discussions carried out with NoFakeMed, GéPS and Miviludes – Donation Le Vaillant, which directs it, was supposed to come but was prevented at the last moment. The twelve sheets were also developed with the assistance of the GéPS, but also with that of the legal service of the Order of Nurses. This is why our documents frequently refer to the Public Health Code and the Code of Ethics of our Order, including Article 10 which recalls that we must provide care based on science and fight against quackery, another essential subject.
Studies show that in the world of health, the people who are most likely to adhere to alternative practices are nurses or caregivers. How do you explain it?
We know, thanks to information from Miviludes, that nurses offer these practices. But the order does not have precise figures on this point. One of the projects that we are going to carry out with Miviludes is precisely to document this aspect in order to be able to do education with these health professionals, to provide them with quality information.
But as I told you, nurses are there to support patients, sometimes until the end of life. When faced with therapeutic impasses and knowing that the outcome will be fatal, some may be tempted by practices, uses or theories that are esoteric or not based on science. It is important to remember that if people can turn to bonesetters, it is often because there is a shortage of medical personnel around them. [cette affirmation a été confirmée par des recherches sociologiques, suggérant que la proximité des soignants permet de mieux lutter contre les dérives, NDLR]. However, a quarter of French departments do not have a palliative care service. Some caregivers and patients may therefore be tempted to take the plunge, which I can understand, even if it remains unacceptable. Because when a professional deviates, it brings shame to the entire profession. But no one wants to be stigmatized because of one or two bad apples.
How do you plan to convey your message to them and, above all, convince as many people as possible to implement your recommendations?
Our primary goal is to make our files known. We therefore sent them to the elected officials who have just joined the Council of the Order. And every month we send a newsletter to our base – of 150,000 people -, for which we know that the opening rate is 60%. We also push these positions on social networks, we work on the morning show and we count on the Ministry of Health to disseminate these different tools.
How is your message perceived within your profession?
The sheets were produced collectively with overall approval from the working group, but also approval following a national consultation. You know, when the nurses are not happy, they do not hesitate to say so, nor to write to me directly to let them know. There, I didn’t get any negative feedback. Maybe this will change at the start of the school year when we promote the sheets one by one? For now, we are still at the beginning of the process. We were late compared to other Orders, but we are back on track and intend to clearly explain that science and law must be at the center of our practices.