Spiritual Needs of the PatientWith an Acute Illness

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Spiritual Needs of the Patient with an Acute Illness

Acute illness Potter and Perry (1997) defined it as “characterized by symptoms that are of relatively

short duration, are usually severe, and affect the functioning of the client in all dimensions.”

Examples: pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, gastritis During periods of acute illness, whether self-limiting or associated with a chronic disease, the

patient may need comfort and support in coping with the sequel of an infectious process as well as with the diagnosis of their condition.

Spiritual Needs in Acute Illness

Effects of an acute illness in a person: POSITIVE: This may leave the individual with a great deal of uncommitted time to

ponder the meaning of life and the illness experience. NEGATIVE: The onset of sudden and unanticipated acute illness may pose serious

emotional and spiritual problems related to fear of possible death and disability. Appropriate Spiritual Behaviors:

Sitting quietly at the patient’s bedside for a brief period Saying a short prayer aloud or offering a silent prayer Reading a scripture (if acceptable to the patient and comfortable for the nurse)

Spiritual Health in Acute Illness

According to Peterson and Potter (1997), the strength of a client’s spirituality influences how he or she copes with sudden illness, and how quickly he or she can move to recovery.

o Spiritually Healthy patient – person who find comfort and strength in his or her spiritual

or religious philosophy of life.o Atheist – person who denies the existence of God.

o Agnosticism – person who has uncertainty about the existence of God.

Spiritual Health correlates importantly with one’s ability to cope with an illness experience. The patients recognized that their spiritual or religious beliefs or lack thereof were significantly related to their adaptation to living with their illness conditions.

Spiritual Needs of the Perioperative Patient

The term perioperative refers to the period encompassing the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative experiences for a surgical patient.

The perioperative nurse can identify a patient’s spiritual beliefs through the use of the nursing history and thus can provide spiritual care through “acceptance, participation in prayer, or referral to a clergy or chaplain.”

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In a study of perioperative nurses’ perceptions of caring practices, McNamara (1995) found that spiritual care was viewed as primarily including those activities and behaviors that “comforted patients or increased their feelings of security.”

Spiritual Caring Behaviors during the Perioperative Period: Stand beside them, hold their hand and talk to them Listen to their concerns Reassure them of God’s love and care during the surgery Pray silently and ask God to give them strength

Opportunities for spiritual care of the perioperative patient in the postoperative period may vary significantly depending on the nature of the surgical procedure. For patients currently experiencing less complex surgeries, classified as “same day surgery”, a gentle touch or a word of comfort or support may still be possible during the recovery room stay.

Spiritual Needs of the ICU Patient

To provide holistic care to the critically ill patient, attention to the needs of the mind and the spirit must accompany the delivery of high-quality physical care.

Factors to help patients deal with spiritual issues:o Religious Pluralismo Difference between spiritual and religious conceptso Nurse’s own possible perception in regard to spiritual values

Meeting their spiritual needs can greatly alleviate anxiety over the illness condition. Listening and “being there” are central to spiritual care in the ICU.

Step 1: InclusionImagine what the ICU experience must actually be like for the patient.Step 2:Carry out an assessment of the patient’s spiritual beliefs, practices, and current needs.Step 3:Diagnose spiritual distress in the ICU patient.

o Requesting for spiritual guidance or supporto Verbalization of distress over not being able to carry out usual religious practiceso Expression of “spiritual emptiness”o Questioning the credibility of one’s belief systemo Expressing anger or frustration over the meaning of the present illness experience

Step 4: ConfirmationSupport the patient’s personal spiritual goals.Step 5:Intervene or may elect to contact a chaplain or other pastoral care providerStep 6: MutualityPray with the critically ill patient using “the patient’s own words” in relation to illness-related needs.Step 7:

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Provide care and support to the patient’s family.

Spiritual Needs of the Emergency Room Patient Goal: Provide care for “the acutely sick and injured”. Spiritual care and support is an important need for both patient and family in emergency

situation, especially if the admitting diagnosis contains a life-threatening dimension.

Step 1:Establish a trusting relationship with the patient.Step 2:Maintain a supportive environment.

o Provide privacyo Identify religious resources such as availability of on-call clergy

Step 3:Recognize the role of the nurse in “healing the whole person”.

Spiritual Needs of the Patient in Pain Remember: Patient interprets and experiences both pain and comfort in light of his/her own

“physiological, social, spiritual, psychological, and cultural characteristics”.

Questions to be used in the assessment of spiritual distress:o Has your illness affected your faith/belief system?o Do you pray? What do you think the power of prayer means?o Is God or other power important to you?o How can I assist you in maintaining spiritual strength?o Are there religious rituals that are important to you now?

Characteristics of Spiritual Distress Diagnosis:o Anger at Godo Expressions of helplessnesso Questioning the meaning and purpose in lifeo Griefo Concerns regarding religious beliefs

Step 1:Recommend or participate in prayer.Step 2:Seek counsel of a chaplain.Step 3:Use spiritual imagery.Step 4:Listen with a caring manner to the patient’s fears and anxieties r/t the pain experience.Step 5:Facilitate participation of family members or other significant persons who may be a primary source of support.

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Ultimately, simply the nurse’s presence is an important spiritual intervention.

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