PHI 413 Topic 1 DQ 1
DQ: What would spirituality be according to your own worldview?
Spiritual care is an essential part of the healing process for every human being physically, mentally, and emotionally. During my patient rounds, I might encounter patients with different worldviews or religions. It is somehow of a challenge for me when I have a patient with a different worldview than mine due to my lack of knowledge about other religions. However, the best way to approach those situations is to acknowledge other people’s beliefs, be active listener, provide support and facilitate communication with pastoral care. As a healthcare professional, it is important to learn about different religions to understand their beliefs and traditions, but it is most important to empathize and provide care with love and respect for every human being because humans are creatures of God (Hoehner, 2020).
What would spirituality be according to your own worldview? How do you believe that your conception of spirituality would influence the way in which you care for patients?
Replies
Spirituality, in my perspective, is a belief in a higher power than oneself. It also entails believing in a power greater than oneself or any other human being. As a nurse, I conduct myself ethically and responsibly and utilize these beliefs to improve care, comprehension, and human compassion. Further, spirituality assists patients in managing stress, making significant health choices, and improving their overall living standards. As a nurse, I collect spiritual backgrounds to get a more in-depth understanding of the patient’s spiritual and religious history and select the most appropriate assistance.
Each patient has unique spiritual requirements that may or may not be religious. The patient may convey this requirement verbally or implicitly. The patient or family may not even realize they are asking for spiritual help. Spiritually distressed patients or their relatives may express a sense of disconnection, hopelessness, future apprehension, purposelessness, or belief in punishment (Selman et al., 2017). As a nurse, I am constantly aware of the patient’s needs, irrespective of conveying them. They may miss these requests for spiritual assistance if I am not attentive.
As a nurse, I can include the patient’s spiritual requirements into their treatment plan. I employ connections, patient involvement, and bodily therapeutic interventions as part of a complete plan of care. Spiritual care initiatives are adaptable, and the nurse and other healthcare team members may provide them in several ways (O’Brien et al., 2018). By respecting the patient’s spirituality and offering presence, building a therapeutic connection, and conversing with the patient gives value to the person. Saying a prayer with the patient, providing caring participation, fostering the person’s faith’s practice, trying to explore options to hurdles, boosting pardon, providing assistance to the patient in uncovering self-expectations and establishing whether those goals are achievable, and encouraging profound articulation of emotions with communication skills are all examples of spiritual initiatives I could employ as a nurse (Selman et al., 2017).
Although spiritual care is meant to help people, I frequently gain as a nurse. Interpersonal trust and a connection with the patient require high emotional intelligence. It’s important to realize that spirituality isn’t always theological care (Ross et al., 2018). Whereas the health care industry easily incorporates spirituality into therapy, spiritual care is essential in all sectors of operation. For the sake of our clients, we as caregivers must respect spiritual support, learn the required skills, and schedule time to satisfy these needs.
References
O’Brien, M. R., Kinloch, K., Groves, K. E., & Jack, B. A. (2018). Meeting patients’ spiritual needs during end‐of‐life care: A qualitative study of nurses and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of spiritual care training. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(1-2), 182-189. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14648
Ross, L., McSherry, W., Giske, T., Van Leeuwen, R., Schep-Akkerman, A., Koslander, T., Hall, J., Steenfeldt, V. Ø., & Jarvis, P. (2018). Nursing and midwifery students’ perceptions of spirituality, spiritual care, and spiritual care competency: A prospective, longitudinal, correlational European study. Nurse Education Today, 67, 64-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.05.002
Selman, L. E., Brighton, L. J., Sinclair, S., Karvinen, I., Egan, R., Speck, P., Powell, R. A., Deskur-Smielecka, E., Glajchen, M., Adler, S., Puchalski, C., Hunter, J., Gikaara, N., & Hope, J. (2017). Patients’ and caregivers’ needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care: A focus group study across nine countries. Palliative Medicine, 32(1), 216-230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216317734954
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Thank you for sharing; responses to items regarding “defining spiritual care” indicated that most nurses perceive that good spiritual care means focusing on respecting patients’ beliefs and dignity and respecting their needs to share their feelings and concerns with others. Despite guidelines supporting spiritual care, patients report unmet spiritual needs; Although health care providers acknowledge the importance of assisting patients with their spiritual needs, it still is a barrier as time and discomfort in discussing spirituality and cultural differences. Health care providers need education about spiritual care (Puchalski et., al 2020)
Reference
Puchalski, C., Jafari, N., Buller, H., Haythorn, T., Jacobs, C., & Ferrell, B. (2020). Interprofessional spiritual care education curriculum: A milestone toward the provision of spiritual care. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 23(6), 777–784. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2019.0375
As being a Sikh woman, I have been raised in a religious family. I believe in God and prayers. I believe that God always listen to the prayers, and is always with me to protect me. As a Sikh woman, Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy book, is our God. Guru Granth sahib teaches us to love everyone and pray for everyone. Since spirituality teaches us to be patience, respectful, hard-worker, and that’s why spiritual people tend to live longer. “Some observational studies that people who have regular spiritual practices tend to live longer” (Puchalski, 2001). I believe that being spiritual teaches me to care for my patients with patience and compassion. I listen to spiritual songs called Shabad Kirtan, and pray for five minutes before going to work. At work, I treat all my patients with love and equal, since my religion teaches me to treat everyone with respect and equality.
Reference:
Bogue, D. (2018). An introduction to Christian values and decision making in Health Care. Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in Health Care. Retrieved December 18, 2021, from https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/1
Puchalski, C. M. (2001, October). The role of spirituality in Health Care. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center). Retrieved December 18, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/
Thank you for a great post. I believe that spirituality leads us as healthcare providers to care for our patients with patience, compassion, and respect, regardless of our religious or non-religious background. While providing care, we are attentive to their physical and emotional needs. We engage in conversation and listen to their hopes and fears, and often listen to their life stories, and we obtain their spiritual history. As you stated, spiritual people tend to live longer. Spirituality helps patients cope with stress, make crucial medical decisions, and improves their quality of life. (Puchalski, 2001)
Puchalski C. M. (2001). The role of spirituality in health care. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 14(4), 352–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2001.11927788
- Replies
- Thank you for sharing; I agree with the purpose of spiritual care is to assist patients in reaching a balanced and holistic understanding of their health condition. One of the nurse’s roles is to assist them in overcoming despair and hopelessness, providing the support they need in finding meaning and purpose. Assessing their spiritual needs will allow us to prepare and implement nursing interventions. Nursing care professionals act as liaisons between the patient and other health care professionals and encourage spiritual care. All the persons who are essential to the patient are involved (Montanic, 2019).
References
Montanič Starc, T., Karnjuš, I., & Babnik, K. (2019). Attitudes towards spirituality and spiritual care among nursing employees in hospitals. Obzornik zdravstvene nege, 53(1), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2019.53.1.313
My Spirituality comes from my Christian worldview and my belief in the Triune God. I know there is a power greater than myself. No matter what I face in my life, I know that I will not be alone, and God will see me through it. Christianity forms the foundation for my values, morals, and ethics by which I live my life.
As a healthcare worker, I believe my Spirituality enables me to be patient, understanding, compassionate, respectful, and supportive of my patient, their beliefs, and their needs. Providing care for not only the physical needs of my patient but engaging in conversation and providing strength and support for their spiritual needs as well is my goal in patient care. “Spiritual or compassionate care involves serving the whole person—the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Such service is inherently a spiritual activity” (Puchalski, 2001).
Spirituality, to me, involves the recognition of a sense or a belief that there is something greater than myself. There is something more to being human that this sensory experience. What we are a part of is cosmic or divine. I believe that if I am part of the good in this world, good will also come my way. “Spiritual people are more altruistic, compassionate, and forgiving of others because they identify with what connects–rather than what separates–them” (McGinley, 2018). With that kept in mind, that mindset helps me care for my patients.
When caring for my patients and helping them meet their needs, I am also meeting my spiritual needs. I am successfully being part of the good in this world every shift. I provide my patients with compassion, and I forgive them when their moods change, as I know their position must be hard to cope with. I call and arrange for spiritual consults because some patients may experience spiritual distress. Spiritual needs are needs whose satisfaction promotes spiritual growth. These patients heal and thrive on communication with others, communication with god, and prayers full of hope. I am so thankful I get to be a part of others’ spiritual journeys even if they differ from my own. For that I am grateful.
References
McGinley, K. (2018, August 29). The Correlation Between Spirituality and Happiness. Chopra. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://chopra.com/articles/the-correlation-between-spirituality-and-happiness
Spirituality is a critical source of strength for many clients that can be instrumental in promoting healing and well-being which begins with compassionate relationships. Christianity significantly influences the way healthcare professionals demonstrates compassionate care to others. Firstly, it promotes selflessness by encouraging clinicians to empathize with their patients and provide care that is rooted in understanding and compassion. Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, depicted as a model of selfless service. This perspective can inspire individuals to put the needs of others before their own, which is a key aspect of compassionate care. Christianity teaches that every person is made in the image of God, which implies that every individual has inherent dignity and worth (Polat, 2019). This belief can influence individuals to treat everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of their circumstances.
Furthermore, it emphasizes forgiveness and reconciliation by helping individuals to provide care that is nonjudgmental but seeks to understand and help others, even when they have made mistakes. Christian spirituality provides a message of hope and encouragement. This can influence individuals to provide care that uplifts and encourages others, even in difficult circumstances. Additionally, compassion enables nurses to establish therapeutic communication with patients and facilitates their ability to understand patients, recognize their emotions and needs and meet their spiritual needs (Polat, 2019). There is growing empirical evidence that our spiritual values and behaviors promotes physical and psychological well-being through the provision of nurse compassion care which increases patient satisfaction, accelerating the recovery process and decreasing the length of hospital stay and treatment costs (Pembroke, 2019). It comprises interventions aimed at strengthening healthy and sick individuals through coping mechanisms against stressful situations as well as providing counseling for some situations and interpreting the situations that individuals experience (Pembroke, 2019).
References
(Pembroke, 2019). Empathic and compassionate healthcare as a Christian spiritual practice. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332128609_Empathic_and_compassionate_healthcare_as_a_Christian_spiritual_practice
(Polat, 2022). Relationship between Compassion and Spiritual Care among Nurses in Turkey. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8144689/