Please help answer a few questions about providing spiritual care.

[jaand]

I'm a nursing student and taking a Spirituality for Healthcare Providers class. We are to interview an individual who provides spiritual care in some way. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions. The interview is to help in writing a paper about improving spiritual care for patients and improving the patient's environment in order to promote their healing. The questions are below:

1. What is your name? If you do not want to give your name, please note "Anonymous."

2. Where do you work?

3. What is your position?

4. Explain the function, roles, and responsibilities of your position.

5. How do you provide spiritual care to a person who is experiencing an illness/injury? Please list a few examples.

5. How do you provide spiritual care for the family of a person who is experiencing an illness/injury?

6. How do you feel that you are able to enhance the healing environment for the person who is sick/injured and his/her family?

Thank you for any help!

[SuzieF]

Hi jaand.

I am sorry, but I just saw this post. I would have responded sooner if I had seen your post/request. It may be too late for you to gather information for your assignment, but I thought I would respond anyway.

1. My name is Suzie Farthing

2. Where do you work?

I work in an Emergency / Trauma Center

3. What is your position?

Triage Liaison/ RN, I also have many years of experience in multiple aspects of hospital nursing.

4. Explain the function, roles, and responsibilities of your position.

Primary triage assessment of patients presenting through the front door of the ED.

5. How do you provide spiritual care to a person who is experiencing an illness/injury? Please list a few examples.

First in my work environment, I assess the physical needs first and prioritize the patients needs from life threatening to less acute. Only once I am sure these needs are taken care of do I look deeper into what may be going on with the patient. Sometimes (really often), the psychosocial and spiritual distress issues are the main cause of the patient's complaints. Once the physical distress/illness is under control, then I offer support of the spiritual needs (and contact SW for other life issues). If the Patient isa Christian, I am comfortable offering support through scripture, praying with the patient and simply listening. If the patient is of another faith, I contact our hospital's chaplain, so they can see to it that the patient is support.

I have to say that in the ED, everything is compressed due to the nature of the environment. However, when I have worked in the ICU and on Med/Surg units my support of the patient is the same, only I have the luxury of more time with the patient to properly assess the needs.

5. How do you provide spiritual care for the family of a person who is experiencing an illness/injury?

After the patient is taken care of, I pretty much do the same as #4.

6. How do you feel that you are able to enhance the healing environment for the person who is sick/injured and his/her family?

I feel strongly that when nurses have the opportunity or take the opportunity to assess and support the spiritual needs of patients, healing for patients and families occurs on many levels- physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. I have personally witnessed unexplainable recoveries occur after spiritual needs have been addressed.

Best wishes,

Suzie