The Importance Of Nursing For Their Patient 's Spiritual Needs Essay

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.

Religion and spirituality is a major essential part of one’s’ health. They have included things such as prayer in healing, counseling, and the use of meditation. Spiritual issues make a difference in an individual’s experience of illness and health. With spirituality, the health care providers can learn to support the values for the art of healing. The health care provider must have respect for their patient’s religion. (Larry Dossey. Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. Harper Collins, San Francisco. 1993.)

All throughout history nursing and medicine was based on the roots of Christianity. Many healthcare providers based their practices from the bible “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me” (Matthew 25:36, NIV). Furthermore, spirituality is an important aspect to remain in our nursing practice. In order to provide holistic care for our patients during their healing process, which includes body, soul, and spirit, Christianity should continue to be practiced with our patients. The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal worldview based upon the meaning of spiritualty, worldviews, prime reality, human person, the meaning of death, epistemology, ethics, and the meaning of human

Although this might be helpful in order for us to deliver a holistic nursing care, it should be noted that spirituality is broader than religion. The term religion tends to refer to a more socially organised and structure ways of being spiritual. It provides deep traditions of spiritual practices such as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism,

Spiritual assessment and care of a patient at each medical or psychiatric appointment is an essential aspect of providing adequate care by all NPs. To be able to do so, NP must understand that spirituality and religiosity are not synonymous. Unlike the concept of religion, which defined by the online Oxford dictionary (2017) as “The belief in a worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods,” spirituality holds various definitions depending on whom you ask. According to Taylor (2002; who credits Reed [1992]) “…spirituality refers to that part of being human that seeks meaningfulness through intra-, inter-, and transpersonal connection (p. 10). Therefore, rapport with each

Health care providers are challenged with caring for patients and families from different religions, faiths and cultures.  It is beneficial for a care provider to have an understanding of different beliefs so that the care and treatment plans coincide with patient’s religious faith.  Creating individualized plans of care to meet the spiritual needs of their patients is necessary for providing them holistic care.  Research is presented on three religious faiths, and their perspective will be compared to Christianity; helping nurses understand and recognize the diversity between different religions and faiths.

For health care providers to deliver the best holistic care that patients deserve, a thorough spiritual assessment must be included during their care. With more research showing a relationship between supporting a patient’s spirituality with their health and ability to cope with illness, it is now a requirement of organizations to include a spiritual assessment to maintain accreditation with The Joint Commission. The minimum required of a spiritual assessment by The Joint Commission is to determine the patient’s religion and

As I begin my career as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), I will have to decide what philosophies I will incorporate into my practice. I believe that holistic care is an effective way to manage the care of a patient. It will also help me learn more about my patients. This concept looks beyond a person’s physical disease, and it includes all aspects of their health and well-being. It requires a provider to consider the patient’s spiritual beliefs, mental needs, emotional status, and environmental influences. I believe that spiritual healing is a major component of physical healing. By incorporating holistic care into my practice, I believe I will provide the patient with the best care available. According to Joel (2013), APRNs that

When looking at the concept of spirituality many may see this as obsolete when it comes to nursing care, but it helps to incorporate a more holistic approach to nursing care. Richard Savel, MD, and Cindy Munro, RN, PhD, ANP, stated in the American Journal of Critical Care (2014), “As nurses and doctors we ought to take a few moments to ponder the spiritual aspects of any patient interaction; doing so empowers all parties involved and has the potential to promote serenity, tranquility, understanding, and a sense of completeness.” Spirituality has helped patients to find purpose and fulfillment which aids in uncovering inner strengths and reserves that ultimately improve their overall health (Younas,

Since nursing began, many different philosophies have helped shape our evolution. Philosophical forces have been spiritual, religious, and gender in nature just to name a few. “Spiritual belief and religious practice contributed significantly to the moral foundation of nursing.” (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014, p. 8) When admitting a patient, I am required to ask if my patient has any spiritual beliefs. We do this because spiritual beliefs have long been thought to play an important part to promote healing. For this reason, it is essential to incorporate whatever their belief into their treatment plan. The same can be said for their religious beliefs. Not all procedures, medications, and treatments are universally accepted among the many different religions. But, we do know that “in all cultures, the nursing profession has been profoundly influenced by various aspects of spirituality and religious practice.”

Spiritual integration in nursing includes providing care to an individual as a whole, considering their social and mental factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of the disease that are presented subjectively or objectively. Rom 15:1 (New International version), can be interpreted as that the nurses have the responsibility of providing care to the patients, in their vulnerable time of sickness without taking credit for it, because God have chosen them to do so for his own glory. Spirituality can have different definitions, to some it can mean having faith in religion, and to others it can mean inner strength through life experiences that bring inspiration. Whereas, many people do not even know they practice spirituality on daily basis, but as nurses we are part of healing process. Recognizing how patient view their health and spiritual needs, can help speedup healing process. This paper will address my recent interaction with an ill patient, how I applied my spiritual belief, values, and faith, and my strength and weakness and areas of improvement in taking care of patient.

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).

“Spirituality is derived from the Latin word spiritus, spirit, the essential part of the person which controls the mind and the mind controls the body. Thus the spirit is the vital life force which motivate people and influence ones life, health behavior and relationships” (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). She also stated that spirituality is the mainstream of life which unifies all aspects of the human being. Spirituality applies to both believers and non believers, including the presence of diverse cultural beliefs (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). Culliford stated that : “In times of emotional stress, physical illness, loss, bereavement and death human beings tend to find comfort, peace, inspiration, reverence and meaning by focusing on their spirituality whether they believe in God or not” (Culliford, 2002). In a study conducted by Tuck and Thingajana the meaning of spirituality was voiced by person living with HIV disease and healthy adults. The definitions voiced by the HIV patients were that “Spirituality is relating and believing in God, who is always present. It is perceived as being guided or helped or being inspired or giving unto. Spirituality includes the process of journeying, discovering and centering and is outwardly expressed” (Tuck & Thinganjana, 2007). The definitions of Spirituality expressed by the healthy individuals were that:

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