Integrating Spirituality as a Key Component of Patient Care
Journal Title: Religions - Year 2015, Vol 6, Issue 2
Abstract
Patient care frequently focuses on physical aspects of disease management, with variable attention given to spiritual needs. And yet, patients indicate that spiritual suffering adds to distress associated with illness. Spirituality, broadly defined as that which gives meaning and purpose to a person’s life and connectedness to the significant or sacred, often becomes a central issue for patients. Growing evidence demonstrates that spirituality is important in patient care. Yet healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not always feel prepared to engage with patients about spiritual issues. In this project, HCPs attended an educational session focused on using the FICA Spiritual History Tool to integrate spirituality into patient care. Later, they incorporated the tool when caring for patients participating in the study. This research (1) explored the value of including spiritual history taking in clinical practice; (2) identified facilitators and barriers to incorporating spirituality into person-centred care; and (3) determined ways in which HCPs can effectively utilize spiritual history taking. Data were collected using focus groups and chart reviews. Findings indicate positive impacts at organizational, clinical/unit, professional/personal and patient levels when HCPs include spirituality in patient care. Recommendations are offered.spirituality;
Authors and Affiliations
Suzette Brémault-Phillips, Joanne Olson, Pamela Brett-MacLean, Doreen Oneschuk, Shane Sinclair, Ralph Magnus, Jeanne Weis, Marjan Abbasi, Jasneet Parmar and Christina M. Puchalski
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP25439
- DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6020476
- Views 306
- Downloads 8
Reliance on God’s Help in Patients with Depressive and Addictive Disorders is not Associated with Their Depressive Symptoms
Objective: Although there are several reports which support a (negative) association between depression and spirituality/religiosity, the specific nature of the relationships remains unclear. To address whether patient...
Religionization of Public Space: Symbolic Struggles and Beyond—The Case of Ex-Yugoslav Societies
The relationship between religious communities and states in the former Yugoslavia is burdened with socialist heritage, but also with conflicts that ensued after the downfall of the socialist regimes. Although the majo...
Hermeneutic Neurophenomenology in the Science-Religion Dialogue: Analysis of States of Consciousness in the Zohar
Many mystical texts convey insights into the nature of mind that have the potential to assist in the framing of scientific models in psychology and neuroscience. In many cases, however, the insights are concealed withi...
Syncopated Beats and the History of Sadness: The Affective Fusion of Audience and Film through Music
Recent developments in the disciplines of cinema studies, theology, and religion and film have generated renewed interest in the experiential dimensions of filmgoing. More specifically, those contributing to theologica...
Pervasive Anxiety about Islam: A Critical Reading of Contemporary ‘Clash’ Literature
This article analyzes and critiques North American and European “clash literature”—a genre of post-9/11 writings that popularize elements of Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis, with particular referenc...