Faith Based Nurse : Review Healthy People 2020

Shelly, J., & Miller, A. (2006). Called to care a Christian worldview for nursing (2nd ed.).

When most people think of nursing, they think of the types of nurses that preoccupy themselves with the physical care of their patients, but nursing is so much more than that. Nursing is a career where you will find yourself taking care of the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is a career concerned with whole-healing. With this definition, it is clear that a Christian perspective on healing can directly correlate with the mission of a nurse. Nursing, in the view of a Christian, is shalom based. Shalom is a goal that can be reached through the patient finding peace in all aspects of their life—physical, emotion, and spiritual.

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (8th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby Elsev

Furthermore, ANA recognized the Health Ministries Association (HMA) as a membership organization that brought together all the faith community nurses in the United States. Later in 1998, HMA's Scope and Standards of Parish Nursing Practice were published and revised in 2005. Other than spiritual health, the FCN predominantly uses interventions of counseling, education, active listening, referral, advocacy, and prayer. However, spiritual care varies from one parish to another depending on the faith community practices and beliefs. Breisch et al. (2013) have acknowledged that advocating for suitable levels of care for vulnerable populations, individuals with healthcare resources access limitations, and healthcare consumers with low-literacy skills are some of the aspects that community nursing should support. FCNs roles include initiating referrals for clinical treatment, assisting in acquiring home care resources, helping with extended care arrangements and supporting healthcare consumers to have access to provider appointments, consequently enhancing health literacy. The FCN perceives the whole faith community and churches as healthcare consumer (Breisch et al., 2013). Faith community nurses participate in the promotion of community awareness related to significant health issues, in addition to developing community collaborations for health

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Ministries Association (HMA) have described Faith Community Nursing (FCN) as a form of a specialized nursing practice carried out by a nurse within a faith community (American Nurses Association & Health Ministries Association, 2012). The role played by the FCN is to protect, promote, and optimize health and abilities, prevent illness and injury, and respond to distress regarding the practice beliefs and the values of a faith community. The FCN emphases on the purposeful care of the spirit as well as the promotion of holistic health and prevention and the reduction of illness (ANA & HMA, 2012). Furthermore, the FCN plays a significant role in developing community partnerships required to

Spiritual care can significantly improve the physical and mental health of nursing home residents. Elderly people are going through a period of life that is set apart by the loss of ability, wellbeing, freedom, and companions. Religious and spiritual individuals regularly utilize their faith and beliefs to adapt to these losses, thus it is critical to keep on providing religious services for seniors who need them. Unfortunately after admitting to the nursing homes, the spiritual and religious needs of residents are often overlooked. (BRIA Health Services, 2016). The Joint Commission- a non-profit organization evaluating the healthcare organizations for quality states, "Patients have a fundamental right to considerate care that safeguards their personal dignity and respects their cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual values" (JCAHO, 2009). Tending to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, is considered to be a priority quality improvement in healthcare. A nursing home chaplain can meet the religious and spiritual needs of residents, residents’ families, administration, and employees. The purpose of this paper is to provide an executive summary of a project that is creating a position of nursing chaplain, to the Board for approval of funding of the project.

The early church took on the task of caring for and visiting the sick. A very important part of the church’s ministry from the beginning, has been healing and spiritual counseling. Parish Nursing began with the early work of deaconesses and other religious sisters who worked in parishes to provide whole person health promotion with an emphasis on spiritual care. The contemporary side of Parish Nursing was conceptualized by Reverend Granger Westberg as a result of his work with Holistic Health Centers in the 1970 's. In 1984 Reverend Westberg approached Lutheran General Health System, Park Ridge, Illinois, with the idea of partnering with local congregations in a parish nurse project (Vukelich, 2002). Today, the United States, Canada and many other parts of the world have Parish Nurses that are serving in the faith communities.

The pervasive influence of scientific empiricism and Darwinism, “inevitably resulted in the establishment of the idea that the final reality is impersonal matter or energy being shaped into its present form by impersonal chance” (Schaeffer, 1981, p. 18). This change in worldview caused the removal of one of the basic foundations of nursing, the Bible. Throughout the Gospels we see that the ultimate purpose for physical healing was to restore people to a vital relationship with God and the community” (Shelly and Miller, 2006, p.24). Being able to demonstrate the value of this goal for today’s nurse is another important reason for me to understand nursing theory and history and how it applies to my philosophy of nursing.

I view Community/Population Nursing “As an extension of public health that includes organized health care services to the community through public and private agencies in addition to government agencies” (Nies & McEwen, 2015, p.). Community/population nursing implements the Core Functions of Public Health (assessment, assurance, and policy development) by integrating their clinical knowledge and their understanding of the entire population and its health and illnesses and communicates that knowledge to health planners and policy makers. Nurses promote public health through nursing interventions, programs, and advocacy and focus on the prevention of illness, injury or disability, the promotion of health, and maintenance of the health of populations

In this case, Susan who is Latino and who was raised in the Catholic religion and later during college she had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). As a nurse caring for Susan, I would want to make sure that, her need as a Latino woman, as well as, a member of the LDS religion are being meet. In the Latino culture family is consideration to be at the very center and plays a very important role in choosing health care provider, as well as, making medical decision. In a traditional Latino family women are the main source, which holds the family together. In addition, when dealing with Hispanic patients, they are less likely to admit to being depressed, due to the negative stigma, that it involves (Rodriguez, 2002).

When public health nurses collaborate with individuals, the focus is on promoting awareness, behaviors, and values that maintain and improve health, with the ultimate goal being of bettering the overall health of the population. These actions are also essential when interacting with families and communities, where the aim is in promoting family and community standards, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors that improve their overall health. So in order to have positive outcomes the public health nurses need to also consider how essential it is to work with clients as equal partners. (p Book 8). The public health nurse’s actions must enhance understanding and the need for widespread health planning in collaboration with communities and populations, focused upon the perceptions, priorities, and values of the population.

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

Spirituality is a delicate topic, and some may not be open to talking about their beliefs. Spirituality is generally understood to be an essential aspect of being human (Lyndo-Lam, 2012). Assessing the spiritual needs of patients is a key component in the nursing process. A compassionate and thoughtful nurse can make a patient feel more secure, making it easier for him to express his spirituality. The participation of both patient and health care provider is vital in promoting spiritual health. The main focus of a spiritual assessment is to gather information regarding the patient’s spiritual needs in order incorporate them into the plan of care, so as to treat

Spirituality is considered one of the components of health and wellness, and is a contributory factor in the delivery of holistic care (O’Shea, Wallace, Griffin, & Fitzpatrick, 2011). It only makes sense for us nurses to study and research spirituality since the nursing profession is committed to holistic development, which includes the spiritual dimension of life. However, elements such as time constraints, short staffing, insufficient formal education related to spiritual assessment and confusion between spirituality and religion have led to spirituality becoming a disregarded component of care (O’Shea et al., 2011). Adolescence is a crucial time in the development of a person’s spiritual path (Benson & Roehlkepartain, 2008). Findings showed that most adolescents hold spiritual or religious beliefs already and choose to draw on them when experiencing life-changing events. Despite this information, healthcare professionals overlook the spiritual needs of adolescents (Neuman, 2011).

Nurses that listen to their patients, not only notice that they are physically hurt, but they can also notice their emotional wounds. The empathy of knowing that the patient is emotionally hurt is part of the spirituality connection. Therefore, they might need comfort. O’Brien (2001) states that, “ No other profession provides the opportunity to touch and be touched by the human spirit as does the practice of nursing. It is this intimacy that calls us to reverence: reverence for God as our creator and Lord…” (pg.110). Nurses have the privilege to connect with people in ways that no other profession may be able to provide. Since nurses are patients advocate, our duty is to connect them with their spiritual beliefs and