Question

Please provide and explain the elements that make up spirituality and how this effects a patient's overall health and recovery

Answer 1

Each human has spiritual needs, which are one of the essential needs in all times. Many patients are generally disturbed by spiritual distress particularly those suffering from chronic diseases and those receiving end of life care. The expression of spiritual distress may vary from one culture to the other, some people cry, some express anger towards the staff and God, express deep grief, feel misaligned from the God, etc. Satisfying the spiritual needs of patients from various cultures is one of the greatest challenges for nurses. In many research articles, it was pointed that being sensitive to spiritual needs of patients makes it possible to provide real and complete health care. As nurses play a key role in providing health care, they have to consider all of these dimensions and relationships.

Previous studies reported that the overall quality of nursing care can be enhanced by meeting the spiritual needs of patients.” Performing religious practices is one of the significant aspects of spiritual needs of patients. During ill health, most of the patients feel the need to connect to God, satisfying their spiritual needs makes them tolerate the problem more easily. Tying written prayers and bands to patient’s bed is one of the examples. Unfamiliarity with the flexibility in performing religious practices during certain situations is one of the cases of spiritual distress in patients. So, nurses can assist such patients by providing the practical strategy in performing particular religious practices.

In patients with spiritual distress, the success of spiritual interventions such as prayer mostly depends on their condition of disease or illness. However, several reports documented the importance of spiritual interventions in the treatment of various diseases such as coronary artery disease, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, cancer and many other.