Spiritality in nursing

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how does one approach to talking with patients about god? any suggestions?

I believe that if a patient initiates a conversation with you about God and you are comfortable with it and so are they, then feel free to talk or if they ask pray with them, but never debate their personal beliefs. I do not believe it is a nurse's place outside of asking the general religious preference to initiate religious talk. Just my 2 cents. I am a christian myself, but felt totaly uncomfortable when a fellow student tracted me. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable as a patient having a nurse talk to me about religion.

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Spiritually does not equal religion or a belief in a higher power. I'm an atheist and a spiritual person.

By the way, for those who believe, if you pray for your patients don't tell them. A scientific studiy has shown that patients who know that people are praying for them have more complications.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

In my end of life issues class, the teacher says we should talk to our terminally patients about spirituality and what gives them meaning in their life. Not to preach to them, but to see what their needs are and arrange for those needs to be taken care of.

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I think, it is in the awareness and sensitivity to a families needs that we can bring up the topic. I took, "Spirituality in Nursing" as an elective topic in my completion / BSN program; I was fortunate to have an Instructor who allowed me to pick and choose my definition of what Spirituality in Nursing meant for me. I researched and wrote a paper on the variations of what spirituality meant (to me) for pt. care. I loved it.

What I took away from that was that spiritulaity was defined by the individual and family. When I later saw the need (my interpretation) I would ask if I could obtain clergy for the family and or pt. or if they had their own resource; when in doubt ask. IMHO, spirituality is a component in Holisitc Care of the pt. and it is optional and deemed necessary by the pt and or family. Broaching the subject is something you gain comfort in but mostly you listen to what is important in their view (again, sometimes just bringing it up for discussion is the start). Often the family will contact their clergy and are suprised to learn their clergy can be contacted and will stop by the Hospital or we can call the on call clergy.

Sometimes the family wants prayer sometimes not. I have prayed with and for many a pt. and family; sometimes it is only a whispering prayer in my mind for the family as the family may refuse this option and that is their right too. Some treasured memories I have in a pt. passing was with me encouraging prayer from a family who have just lost a loved one and really did not know what to do.

I am glad to see so many posters expressing an awareness of the need for Spirituality in Nursing.

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Specializes in Lactation Ed, Pp, MS, Hospice, Agency.

Okay: doesn't anyone remember how impt psychological needs are? Can you say MASLOW's hierachy of needs?

Spirituality, whether it be belief in a "Higher Being" or atheism, is impt to use when assessing where a pt maybe with new diagnosis, impending death, ability to cope, ect.

I have personally got to say: if a pt were to ask me to pray with him/her or for them I would. (& I have). The best experience I had was on my last day in clinical, when I had a pt who had been homeless, mugged & nearly died on the streets (near-fatal brain bleed) (BTW: this day turned out to be an unexpected float with my preceptor)(talk about Divine intervention!). He NEEDED to talk about what had happened & WHY he survived.

The talk we ended up having gave him hope. It gave him hope to think that he was loved, cared for & had a reason that he survived.

This man was very withdrawn & resistant to taking help upon his impending dc before this & I stopped in to talk to see if I could convince to take it.

How I began: I asked him if he had a belief in a "Higher Being." (he said "yes") I let the words flow from there.

Mind you, I am not ordinarily this open with my pts. But I could see he needed to talk.

I left the hospital that night with tears flowing down my face & with many prayers that followed.

OP: Do what your heart tells you & I ask for God to guide you in your words. You'll never go wrong.

All others: if you don't feel comfortable talking w/your pt about this, that's okay. I will.

Blessings,

~MJ

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele.

as I stated before , i would not press my believes on anyone, but the most important thing you can do is listen, listen, listen. People are in need of an open ear , and when you go in there with a closed heart thinking it is not my place to talk to patient about spirituality, then, no this patient will never open up to you either.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele.
Spiritually does not equal religion or a belief in a higher power. I'm an atheist and a spiritual person.

By the way, for those who believe, if you pray for your patients don't tell them. A scientific studiy has shown that patients who know that people are praying for them have more complications.

I'd like to see this study, cause I have seen the opposite. I have even people ask me to pray for them , that claimed they don't believe in God.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

What if the nurse is an atheist? Should the nurse have to perform a relgious ritual he/she objects to in order to satisfy the pt.?

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