Spiritual Nursing

Sep 07, 2011 written by Bro. David BSN | 8 Comments

This article revolves on the reality of the Spiritual Nursing in the Medical field today. It is been
sometimes neglected.
Spiritual Nursing care in todays world play an important role of the healing process of a
person. It is clearly stated in the Encyclicals written by the Catholic Pontiff Blessed John Paul the
Great Gaudium et Spes that man made of a Body and a Soul. There is unity in it. The Physical Body
of a person composed the sum of the material world and the soul component sums the Spiritual
dimension. No one can separate this facts from each other. For the Body needs the soul; as well as
the soul needs the body. Soul is directly referred to us the innermost aspect of a human being that is
valued much in him. The body is then also valued for it structured the human being that is in him.
Thus in all aspects of care this dimension (Spirituality) should not be set aside but rather must be
given also emphasis.
Spirituality according to REED refers to that part of being that seeks meaningfulness
through the intra, inner and transpersonal connection of a human being. It is then explain broadly as
our relationship to Higher Being that we believed to be the infinite source of unfailing energy.
We can observed almost all the peoples in this world has its own religious affiliation. For in our
nothingness we are under the Supernatural Being that can punish our shortcomings and rewards our
good deeds.
Rogers views the person as an irreducible whole, the whole being greater than the sum of
its parts. Whole is differentiated from holistic, the latter often being used to mean only the sum of
all parts. She states that humans are dynamic energy fields in continuous exchange with
environmental fields, both of which are infinite. The human field image perspective surpasses
that of the physical body. Both human and environmental fields are characterized by pattern, a
universe of open systems, and four dimensionality. Holistic Health involves the total person: the
whole of the persons being and the overall quality of lifestyle (Kozier, Barbara et.al, The
Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process and Practice, Pearson Education South Asia PTE LTD.
2004). Thus in caring for the individual all aspect and dimension of his being should be assessed
According to Angela Wolf paraphrasing Shelley and Fish, Our job as nurses would be
offering meaning and purpose, love and relatedness, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ and his
reconciliation. Understanding that this relationship as a source of fulfillment is essential to caring
for patients as whole entities. However, nurses have the duty to assist patients to worship and
practice their beliefs, faith, and spirituality despite their beliefs of these practices. Discussion while
spirituality is an essential aspect of holistic nursing care, the current literature is often theoretical in
nature and neglects to correlate theory to practical application by getting lost in vague, ambiguous
language. In literature, there is paucity in establishing guides for assist nurses to practice competent
spiritual care. This literature review identified the key concepts of spirituality: purpose,
interconnectedness (with Spiritual Trends in Holistic Nursing 40 total relationships), belief,
integrative energy, transcendence and hope. (Wolf, A.,2008. SPIRITUAL TRENDS IN HOLISTIC
NURSING: A Thesis, Liberty University).
Based on an article written by Ann Long en titled Nursing: A spiritual perspective, it is a
fundamental need for nurses to include the promotion of the spiritual dimension of the health of
human beings as well as the physical, mental and social facets if they truly wish to engage in
holistic care. The author attempts to define the phenomenon of spirituality, aware of the dilemma
that many individuals face when thinking and reflecting on this very personal and intangible issue.
In addition to her to be spiritual is to become fully human, the article argues, and the reverse is also
true. Spirituality in health is inextricable in each persons search for the discovery of the truth about
self and the meaning and purpose of life. Healthy communities are the product of healthy
individuals who sow spiritual seeds such as unconditional positive regard, acceptance, respect and
dignity for the benefit and advancement of individuals and humankind as a whole. (Long, A.,

NURSING: A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE, Nursing Ethics Vol. 4 No.6: University of Ulster,

Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, NI: 1997)
Wright said that the practice of nursing is ideally concerned with the whole person as well as
the environment in which they live, function, and interact. This concern extends beyond caring for
physical needs to attending to a range of high risk or maladaptive behaviors (e.g., interpersonal
violence, substance abuse, unprotected sex) that have a negative impact on the individual and
others. Many nursing theories and models of practice either explicitly or implicitly view persons as
holistic beings with physical, psychosocial, and spiritual dimensions. Nursing cannot take a holistic
approach to care without acknowledging the importance of spirituality to the entire person. In the
last 15 years, increased attention on the spiritual dimension of persons has been evident in nursing
research, theory development, education, and practice. Reeds (1992) description of spirituality as a
basic human characteristic, with importance to well-being and health, supports its inclusion in all
areas of nursing science. The focus of interest in this study is the human dimension of spirituality
and its effects on the lives of adolescents. Because nursing is concerned with the health needs
arising from all human dimensions, including spirituality, efforts to gain a more comprehensive
understanding of the spiritual dimension in any given population was warranted. (Wright,
H.,FINDING SAFE PASSAGE: THE EXPERIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY FOR ADOLESCENTS.
University of Texas, Austin: 2006)
THE REALITY
Today we observed that most of the medical institution gives least emphasis on the Spiritual
aspect of a person. I cant understand how can we provide Holistic care in a patient excluding the
spiritual health of an individual. How come the wholeness person be restored if His spiritual life is
not being attended? Do we forget the basic theory on this aspect? Man is composed of a body and a
soul. The Spirit that rooted in the inner most being of the person sums up the moral and social
dimension of an individual whereas the body sums up the physical, sexual and psychological
dimension. It is being taught to us in our schools that this dimensions should be given equal
emphasis in giving a Holistic Care of the patient. But where are we now? Based on my experience
student of today who are in their internship for medical studies do not even know how to connect
their patient to their Supernatural Being (God) and doesnt also know how to make an Spiritual
Assessment. Doctors and nurses sometimes atheist and believe on the greatness of their strength.
SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING PROCESS
The belief of a person in what we called God is very important in his recovery . It is the
source of their strength. This is where their hopes sprout and gives them an inspiration to hold on.
All those person who has a high spirituality has a tendency of better and fast recovery if they
encountered illness. This is because the person has a low depression tendency. Why is this so?
Strength and hope was developed during their spiritual formation and the sense of Never to give
up is high. He feels that he is not alone, that he is with someone who will regain his strength.
Taylor on her qualitative study of 30 persons living with cancer was conducted to determine the
how, when, what, and outcomes of prayer during the life threatening illness. Because the informants
unexpectedly and covertly referred to spiritual conflicts associated with praying, the researcher
conducted a secondary analysis of data. These data which were collected using in-depth interviews
and when content analyzed, revealed several spiritual concerns that occur for some individual to
pray about their illness. These finding extend previous research that reports how clients frequently
find prayer a helpful coping strategy. While clients can believe in and use prayer, they may also
concurrently have doubts or question about prayer. Nurses can be sensitive to this spiritual conflict
and provide support. (Taylor, E.J., et al, SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS ASSOCIATED WITH
PRAYING ABOUT CANCER: PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY; P. 386-394)
Based on the research of Ehrlich S. of VeryMed Network, Spiritual practices tend to
improve coping skills and social support, foster feelings of optimism and hope, promote healthy
behavior, reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, and encourage a sense of relaxation. By

alleviating stressful feelings and promoting healing ones, spirituality can positively influence
immune, cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels), hormonal, and nervous systems. An example of a
religion that promotes a healthy lifestyle is Seventh Day Adventists. Those who follow this religion,
a particularly Asmoke tobacco. In a 10-year study of Seventh Day Adventists in the Netherlands,
researchers found that Adventist men lived 8.9 years longer than the national average, and Adventist
women lived 3.6 years longer. For both men and women, the chance of dying from cancer or heart
disease was 60 - 66% less, respectively, than the national average.
Again, the health benefits of religion and spirituality do not stem solely from healthy
lifestyles. Many researchers believe that certain beliefs, attitudes, and practices associated with
being a spiritual person influence health. In a recent study of people with acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS), those who had faith in God, compassion toward others, a sense of
inner peace, and were religious had a better chance of surviving for a long time than those who did
not live with such belief systems. Qualities like faith, hope, and forgiveness, and the use of social
support and prayer seem to have a noticeable effect on health and healing.
All of us has its belief and this belief becomes the core of our Spiritual Life and can
influence our healing process in times of illness and difficulties.