Exploration of the Use of Traditional Healers Among Nursing Students in Podlasie, Poland

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a broad set of health practices that are not part of conventional medicine. An interesting example of such a practice is the activity of folk healers called whisperers in Poland. Unfortunately, whisperer practices have not been studied from a biomedical perspective. In my own cross-sectional study, conducted in 2022 with the participation of nursing students from southern Podlasie, Poland, it was documented that the memory of whisperers is still alive. Of the 58 respondents, 27 (46.6%) had friends who used the help of whisperers, and seven nursing students (12.1%) personally benefited from such help in childhood. In Eastern Europe activity of traditional folk healers has not completely disappeared.