Integrating Spirituality Into Critical Care

Abstract

Integration of the spiritual domain into the nursing plan of care positively influences health and wellness. Applying nursing theory to practice reinforces the advanced practice nurse's (APN's) responsibility to integrate spiritual care into the critical care environment. Indeed, all nurses have an obligation to integrate spiritual care because the focus of nursing care is beneficence. Moreover, the focus of APN care is not curing, but healing. Healing can be assisted by entering into the patient's suffering to help reconstruct life plans and facilitate realizing meaning from the despair of illness even while facing extreme adversity and death. This article describes spiritual care of the critically ill adult patient and the role that the APN must, can, and should take to assimilate spiritual care into care of these patients and their families.

Assessing Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Spirituality and Spiritual Care in APRN Students

“…The topic of spirituality and spiritual care of patients has been included in nursing research for decades; however, current literature supports that nurses are feeling unprepared to provide this type of care. If spiritual assessment and care are an important element of holistic treatment of the patient, it is imperative that all nurses, including APRNs, feel confident and comfortable in providing this type of care (Chrash et al, 2011;Hubbell et al, 2006;Maddox, 2001;Weiland, 2010). Understanding the attitudes and knowledge of spirituality and spiritual care of APRN students may help graduate nursing education programs develop curriculum regarding the provision of spiritual care in nursing practice in the future.…”

“…It begs the question of whether spiritual assessments are actually being taught in nursing education programs. The literature pertaining to APRN education has also demonstrated that spiritual caregiving content is both required and necessary at the graduate level of nursing education, yet the inclusion of this important content has been neglected (Carron & Cumbie, 2011;Hubbell et al, 2006;Maddox, 2001;Stranahan, 2001;Tanyi, et al, 2009;Weiland, 2010).…”

“…It would be nearly impossible to cite all the attempts that have been made to do so over the last three decades (Weiland, 2010). Whether a person considers themselves spiritual and/or religious, they usually possess some type of perspective on matters concerning suffering, mortality, and the meaning of life itself (Taylor, Park, & Pfeiffer, 2014).…”

“…It is essential in order for the APRN to feel comfortable providing competent and holistic spiritual care to their patients (AACN, 2012;Carron & Cumbie, 2011;Hubbell et al, 2006;Maddox, 2001;NONPF 2012;Stranahan, 2001;Tanyi, et al, 2009;Weiland, 2010). …”

“…If spiritual assessment and care are an important element of holistic treatment of the patient, it is imperative that APRNs feel confident and comfortable in providing this type of care (Chrash et al, 2011;Hubbell et al, 2006;Maddox, 2001;Weiland, 2010). Assessing current knowledge and attitudes among APRN students on spiritual caregiving is one way to evaluate the degree of preparation occurring within the academic setting and perhaps the need for further education within graduate curriculum.…”