Spirituality Assessment

After using the spirituality assessment model Mor-VAST, the author discovered how important faith and prayer were in her patient. As stated by Skalla and McCoy (2006), The Mor-VAST model is a way to describe individuals’ spirituality. Clinicians can use it as a concrete method for assessing spiritual strengths and weaknesses and to build or bolster patients’ sense of self. After the author became familiar with J.H., she realized that she discovered that her patient believed and focused her health and life around prayer. J.H.’s strong faith kept her at peace and enabled her to endure frequent hospitalizations, while still having a positive attitude. Due to the fact that the author developed a superior relationship with J.H., this allowed for good patient-nurse communication, and also allowed the patient to disclose her deep personal thoughts that are sometimes very private to many individuals. “Respecting patients’ spiritual growth by attending to “being” rather than to “fixing” is a fundamental premise” (Skalla, McCoy, 2006). Allowing the patient to communicate without interruptions is important, as this will only tell the patient that one is an attentive individual, and it will also show patients that attentiveness also means that the individual truly cares about what they have to say. A non-judgmental approach is highly encouraged when assessing or speaking to patients regarding their own personal views and opinions. “Cultural competence is particularly important in this arena as different cultures have different views on spirituality and religion” (JACHO, 2005). In regards to the future, the author believes that she would not change her communication skills towards the patient nor towards the way the nurse patient relationship was established. The author does state that one possibility that could be changed in the future is the use of other spirituality assessment tools such as the HOPE assessment tool, which also addresses a different component regarding

References: Joint Commision on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizaions. (2005) . Evaluating your spiritual assessment process. Joint Commission: The Source. Vol 3, Issue 2. Retrieved March 1, 2013 from: http://professionalchaplains.org/files/resources/reading_room/evaluating_your_spiritual_assessment_process.pdf Skalla, K., McCoy, P. (2006). Spiritual Assessment of patients with cancer: The moral authority, vocational, aesthetic, social, and transcendent model. Oncology Nursing Forum. Vol 33. No. 4. P 745-51. Retrieved on February 28, 2013 from: http://ehis.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost/detail?sid=eb24c49f-f3bb-4d62-a28c-c844296b4d85%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=16&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=rzh&AN=2009223146 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM) (2011). Spirituality. What is spirituality? Retrieved February 28. 2013 from: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/spirituality-000360.htm