Spirituality: The Missing Link for Holistic Health Care

Background: Research shows that spirituality is important, but patients report that nurses rarely address spiritual issues, and research from the patient viewpoint is limited. Aim: The research objective was to gain knowledge about hospitalized patients’ perspectives on spiritual assessment by nurses. Method: This is a mixed methods exploratory study reporting on quantitative/qualitative aspects of the patient perspective. Norwegian nurses in an acute care hospital distributed a 21-item spiritual assessment survey to patients they felt would not be burdened by completing it. Patients’ demographic data were not identifiable, survey packets were returned anonymously via hospital mail by 157 hospitalized patients. Each survey item and several variables on the demographic sheet had space for comments. Quantitative analysis used SPSS 21, qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings: Statistically significant correlations were found with all survey items. Hospitalized people reported high comfort with spiritual assessment by nurses. Qualitative findings revealed that patients had differing views on if, when, and how nurses should ask spiritual questions of them. Conclusions: It is important to identify patients’ perspectives in order to provide patient-centered holistic care. Understanding patient views will enlighten nurses and may promote spiritual care and improve patient health outcomes.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hospitalized Patients’ Perspectives on Spiritual Assessment: A Mixed Methods Study

Cone

Giske

2020

“…This is significant and warrants exploration of the cultural and practical meaning of being spiritual. In the holistic nursing field, spirituality has been noted as "the missing link for holistic health care," where despite mounting research on the importance of spirituality for patients and practitioners, courses in spirituality are not plentiful (Southard, 2020). Margaret Hatcher discusses the need for spiritual leadership qualities to address not only one's personal vision and spirit, but also the spirit of an organization.…”

Section: Spiritual Awakening and Social Consciencementioning

confidence: 99%

A Holistic Transcendental Leadership Model for Enhancing Innovation, Creativity and Well-Being in Health Care

Barr

Nathenson²

2021

Burnout in health care employees and leaders is at an all-time high. Strategies to address burnout can fall short of addressing the broad range of underlying causes, including both organizational culture and personal factors. The National Academies of Medicine has set forth recommendations to address health care burnout from a leadership-based systems level that focuses on the whole employee, body, mind, and spirit. Across generations and societies, there is a growing trend toward spirituality and meaning as a critical component of both personal life and work. Among the working-age millennials, values of purpose and greater societal good take precedent and impact work choices and behaviors. Spiritually based values such as a sense of purpose, the transcendence of the self and ego, and the acknowledgment of something greater than our collective selves, are present in both popular culture and research on transcendental models of leadership. This article presents a model of holistic transcendental leadership that can be leveraged in the health care workplace to enhance innovation and creativity, while placing a novel emphasis on the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being at the individual, group, and organizational level.

“…Spirituality is multidimensional, subjective, and includes a person's values and beliefs (Southard, 2020). Often, spirituality is incorrectly interchanged with religion and religiosity (Vincensi, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, over time, nursing's response to spiritual needs has diminished. Reasons for this may be due to the increased use of technology in health care and a shift from the “more human element” when providing patient care (Southard, 2020, p. 4). The importance of providing spiritual care is emerging as research demonstrates the benefits of attending to a spiritual need for the patient's well-being (American Holistic Nursing Association/American Nurse(s) Association [AHNA/ANA], 2018; Atarhim et al, 2019; Pandya, 2020; Yang et al, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Spirituality and Perceived Ability to Provide Spiritual Care: A Mixed-Method Study

O’Connell-Persaud

Isaacson

2021

Study purpose: This study's purpose was to explore nursing students’ spirituality and perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Design and methods: A convergent mixed method, cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample included traditional nursing students in their second quarter ( n = 53) and final quarter ( n = 43) attending a faith-based university and accelerated final quarter nursing students ( n = 45) attending a private secular university from two accredited nursing programs. Quantitative data were analyzed using a pairwise Spearman rank correlation and multivariate analysis of variance. Open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Quantitatively, as a student's spirituality increases, their perceived ability to provide spiritual care decreases. Qualitative findings revealed three categories: guidance to recognize spiritual needs, empathy and openness, and intertwined with religion. Conclusion: Quantitatively, nursing students reported their spirituality did not influence their perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Yet, qualitatively, students reported their spirituality assisted in their ability to provide spiritual care. However, students were unable to differentiate between spirituality and religion. Colleges of nursing need to ensure students learn the art of holistic nursing, which includes spirituality and religion along with opportunities to apply and reflect on their spirituality and perceived ability to provide spiritual care.