Topic 5 DQ 1 What is your definition of spiritual care? How does it differ or accord with the description given in the topic readings? Explain. Topic 5 DQ 1 Spiritual Care in Healthcare

I perceive spiritual care as giving attention to the religious and spiritual needs of patients. It is mostly provided by different healthcare practitioners such as nurses, social workers, physicians, and chaplains. When providing spiritual care, it is important to not impose one’s beliefs on other people but instead provide them with an avenue to explore their spirituality even if they are ill. This means that even if one does not agree with the patient’s spirituality, one must respect them and incorporate it into their treatment.

I also believe that spiritual care is crucial in helping parents cope with suffering, illness, and even loss. It ensures that they understand their lives more deeply and can find purpose even if they are suffering. Many patients also need spiritual care as it helps them understand their relationship with other people such as family and friends (Hu et al., 2019). This way they can relate better and understand when they need to let some of them go.

My perception aligns with the topic readings as they focus on the importance of spiritual care in helping a patient cope with illness. By practicing spiritual care a patient can be content with the situation and be hopeful of healing as they trust there is a purpose in their illness (de Diego-Cordero, et al., 2022). However, while the topics focus on a worldview, I perceive spiritual care from a personal view and therefore might have a biased perception.

However like in the topic readings, I agree that spiritual care should be availed to all people not only those who are seriously ill. This is because it is a beneficial part of holistic care and goes a long way in improving patients’ outcomes.

References

de Diego-Cordero, R., Suárez-Reina, P., Badanta, B., Lucchetti, G., & Vega-Escaño, J. (2022). The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Nursing Research, 67, 151618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151618

Hu, Y., Jiao, M., & Li, F. (2019). Effectiveness of spiritual care training to enhance spiritual health and spiritual care competency among oncology nurses. BMC Palliative Care, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0489-3