This was a great read, and resource. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. November Lung Cancer Awareness Month Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. • Don’t try to be something you’re not or to know something you don’t. Concentrate on valuing, accepting, and empathizing. Caring for spiritual, existential and psychosocial needs is not only relevant to patients at the end of their life but also to those suffering from long-term chronic illnesses. If desired, arrange for the patient to listen to music of his or her choosing; perhaps family members could bring in a CD player with a selection of comforting music. At this stage, patients have certain spiritual needs. As you explore such issues together, follow the patient’s lead. Learn to be comfortable with the patient’s tears and accept crying and other emotional expressions (including your own) calmly. Carole R. Eldridge, DNP, RN, CNAA, BC, is Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the master’s program in nursing leadership at the University of Texas Medical Branch—School of Nursing in Galveston. Being sensitive to the spiritual needs of a patient makes it more likely that the patient will trust both the practitioner and the treatment itself. Don’t assume you have to be religious to give spiritual … Evidence reveals parallels between perceptions of emotional and spiritual needs. What is spiritual distress? If your patient asks you to pray, adapt your prayer to the patient’s beliefs and needs. Crossroads’ team provides support for the mind, body, and soul, so that patients can make the most of every day they have left. The truth is, if you are dealing with end-of-life issues – whether you are facing death personally or are losing a loved one – each person has unique spiritual needs. Spiritual interventions don’t have to be difficult or intimidating. If you don’t believe in prayer or for some other reason don’t wish to pray with the patient, ask a coworker to do this. A person may find this in complementary ways by finding comfort in faith, religion, and spirituality. It’s fine to explore difficult questions with the patient. This is a nice article and I will be using the article to aid in a a class project. When providing spiritual care, be careful not to inflict additional suffering. Spiritual distress can be as agonizing as physical pain, and unfulfilled spiritual needs can hinder a patient’s progress. Nurses are at a high risk for compassion fatigue, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. Pray for the patient’s concerns. Personal or religious objects, symbols or rituals (including prayer or readings) may be used. The weekly email newsletter from the publishers of American Nurse Journal. (See Assessing your patient’s spiritual needs.). Reflect your understanding of the patient’s concerns by stating, “It sounds like you’re thinking a lot about what lies ahead.” On the day Julia realized she was facing 16 weeks of hospitalized bed rest, one nurse “took the time to listen to all my fears. 8 Use inspirational words and music By providing interventions that relieve spiritual distress, you can help free the patient’s energy for physical, emotional, and social healing. Spiritual Needs Assessment A spiritual assessment for a patient also known as SNAP is comprised of 23 items that are used to assess a patient’s psychosocial needs, spiritual needs, and religious needs. Performing a simple spiritual-needs assessment can be an effective nursing intervention in itself. One nurse colleague, whom I’ll call Julia, found this out when she was hospitalized with a difficult pregnancy. This sense should be known to have sensory pleasures and when someone is living under these senses then he is … Prayer is one of the spiritual interventions patients request most often. Listening to patients doesn’t require much response on your part. Offer to read from a book of the patient’s choice, or have a volunteer read to the patient. Be willing to be present during prayer when asked, knowing that your actions acknowledge this patient need; this intervention may be as important for the patient as the medications you … Assessing and integrating patient spirituality into the health care encounter can build trust and rapport, broadening the physician-patient relationship and increasing its effectiveness. 2 Listen actively The patients suffering from chronic diseases tolerate physical discomfort along with spiritual stress. Help me understand what you mean.” Maintain a matter-of-fact manner. Support the patient's use of spiritual coping during the illness. 6 Share the experience • Don’t debate religion or try to impose your own religious or spiritual views on the patient. By providing interventions that relieve spiritual distress, you can help free the patient’s energy for physical, emotional, and social healing. Aim: This study was conducted to explain spiritual needs of cancer patients in Iran. Treating both the physical needs as well as the emotional and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients is an essential tenet of hospice care. Beyond that, ministry to cancer patients should cover the four basic spiritual needs discussed below. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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