The Role of Spirituality in Health Care
Spiritual Assessment
Grand Canyon University: HLT 310
January 20, 2013
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 the patients as a whole. In this essay, I shall summarize the patient findings based on a spiritual assessment tool, describe significant discoveries about the person interviewed, analyze the interview, point out barriers and challenges, and describe my personal spiritual experience and the importance of this tool to better meet the needs of my patients. Assessment Findings
Mr. Ferrell is a 56-year-old man; he is married and has a son and a daughter. He is retired due to medical issues, but tries to stay active at home. Patient has both diabetes and hypertension, which are the cause of his renal failure. Mr. Ferrell said, “Faith is what keeps me going” (Ferrel, 2013). Religion plays an important role in this family, but it grew with the onset of his disease. He usually wakes up thanking God for another day of life and prays every night before going to sleep; as a Catholic he tries to go to church on a regular basis, which is every Sunday. When things seem to be difficult, he turns to his faith and spiritual beliefs as a coping mechanism. The patient mentioned that he and his family are very involved with church and their community as a way to thank God for all He does for them. Discoveries Faith is what guides his life,
Grand Canyon University: HLT 310
January 20, 2013
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 the patients as a whole. In this essay, I shall summarize the patient findings based on a spiritual assessment tool, describe significant discoveries about the person interviewed, analyze the interview, point out barriers and challenges, and describe my personal spiritual experience and the importance of this tool to better meet the needs of my patients. Assessment Findings
Mr. Ferrell is a 56-year-old man; he is married and has a son and a daughter. He is retired due to medical issues, but tries to stay active at home. Patient has both diabetes and hypertension, which are the cause of his renal failure. Mr. Ferrell said, “Faith is what keeps me going” (Ferrel, 2013). Religion plays an important role in this family, but it grew with the onset of his disease. He usually wakes up thanking God for another day of life and prays every night before going to sleep; as a Catholic he tries to go to church on a regular basis, which is every Sunday. When things seem to be difficult, he turns to his faith and spiritual beliefs as a coping mechanism. The patient mentioned that he and his family are very involved with church and their community as a way to thank God for all He does for them. Discoveries Faith is what guides his life,