Question

What spiritual issues surrounding a disaster can arise for individuals, communities, and health care providers? Explain your answer in the context of a natural or manmade disaster. How can a community health nurse assist in the spiritual care of the individual, community, self, and colleagues?

Answer 1

Spirituality may be same as religion. But is not so, because spirituality is a broader concept than religion. Spirituality is about a person's meaning of life and how they connect to God or tanscendence or the supreme power that surpasses religion.

Disaster which is often sudden and unexpected shakes everyones spirituality of which the individuals and communities are most affected since there is sudden loss. The individual may feel guilt, despair and hopeless and question about the existence of God and why did he do this. The community as a whole may be in shock and question their beliefs, faith and could be anger or feel numb. The health care providers even though they are active and work for relief may experience grief and question their beliefs. But ones who are spiritually healthy may be able to connect to supreme power and find meaning in their life.

Conider a tsunami, a vast amount of people lost their family, houses and everything in life including hope. A natural disaster like this takes a long time for physical, psychological and spiritual relief. Spiritual care is helping a person in spiritual crisis, to help a person find meaning, hope and strength in thier circumstances.

A community health nurse plays a major role in disaster relief. She can provide spiritual care to individuals, community and co workers and also to self.

To individuals:

They may be struggling with their faith and loss. Make arrangements to meet physical needs. Be sympathetic. Listen to them. Even just your presence is enough. Encourage them to talk. Be empatheti. Help them to meet and connect with survivors. Help them to meet a spiritual care provider if needed. Help them find strength and hope in their circumstances.

To community:

Identify their physical needs and meet. Help survivors to connect. Identify their needs related to spirituality like need for places to meet, do any rituals, need to connect to others etc and make arrangements.

To coworkers:

The coworkers may be exhausted and also experience spiritual distress after seeing the effects of disaster. Help them to debrief. Help maintain contact with their family. Help them to have support groups like a prayer team. Help them to follow thier religious rituals.

To self:

Have a supportive person who is spiritually healthy. Ventilate your feelings to that person. Pray together. Connect with family. Follow your rituals like reading bible, praying, having positive talk etc.