ANSWER
In nursing practice, spirituality and holistic care: an introduction
Many individuals with chronic medical issues find great healing in spirituality and holistic practices including Eastern medicine and therapeutic touch. Complementing traditional medical therapies, these techniques give patients a path for psychological and emotional healing. Delivering patient-centered care depends on nurses knowing and supporting the spiritual and whole needs of a client. The identification of clients’ spiritual needs, the function of nurses in giving assistance, measures for respecting individual beliefs, possible conflicts of interest, and modifications to nursing practice to guarantee culturally and spiritually sensitive treatment is discussed in this paper.
Determination of Client Spirituality Needs
Many times, clients seeking consolation, meaning, and hope from difficult medical events resort to spirituality. Chronic conditions include cancer, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases can throw off a client’s spiritual, emotional, and bodily state. Expressions of hopelessness, death anxiety, or concerns on the meaning of life could all point to a need for spiritual care. Certain clients might specifically ask for prayer, spiritual guidance, Reiki or meditation techniques. Others could show these requirements subtly by means of emotional pain or a need for closer relationships. To properly recognise and meet these requirements, nurses have to be attentive to both verbal and nonverbal clues.
The Nurse’s Part in Attendance to Spiritual Needs
Integration of spiritual care into their work depends mostly on registered nurses. Emphasising the need of holistic nursing care—which includes attending to spiritual well-being—the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2021). Supporting a client’s spirituality as a nurse includes:
Giving people a safe, nonjudging environment where they may communicate their spiritual issues or views is known as active listening.
As needed, refer clients to chaplains, spiritual counsellors, or local resources.
Supporting client-requested practices include prayer, meditation, or Reiki in line with healthcare policies and procedures.
Advocacy: Ensuring they are evidence-based when included into treatment, thereby supporting the inclusion of spiritual or complementary approaches into the care plan.
By attending to spiritual needs, nurses improve the therapeutic nurse-client connection in addition to the emotional and psychological state of the client.
Client-Centered Approach and Honing Preferences
Tailoring treatments to the particular tastes, cultural background, and spiritual beliefs of the client is what defines client-centered care. In nursing, respect of diversity is essential since every client has a different path and view of healing. Respectful demonstration techniques include:
Developing cultural competency by learning about the client’s religion and cultural customs concerning healing and wellness. Clients from Eastern cultures, for instance, could appreciate acupuncture, while others could rely on faith-based ceremonies.
Whenever at all feasible, include the client’s preferred practices into their treatment schedule. For clients who find comfort in energy healing, for instance, schedule Reiki treatments.
Open communication about care choices during assessments and including them into treatment plans. Tools like the FICA Spiritual Assessment Framework (Faith, Importance, Community, and Address in Care) help to direct conversations about spirituality (Puchalski & Ferrell, 2022).
By means of these initiatives, nurses show empathy and build confidence, therefore guaranteeing that treatment is not only successful but also meaningful.
Possible Interest Conflicts
When a nurse’s institutional policies or personal values diverge from the client’s choices, conflicts can result. Like:
Though she could have personal doubts about Eastern medicine or Reiki, a nurse must put the client’s needs above her own.
Some healthcare facilities might not support some alternative therapies, therefore restricting their inclusion into treatment strategies.
Safety Issues: Nurses may have moral conundrums in juggling respect of autonomy with the obligation to deliver safe treatment when a client’s preferred practice lacks scientific validity or presents hazards.
Ethical frameworks and communication techniques that honour the client’s autonomy while supporting evidence-based, safe procedures can help nurses negotiate these challenges.
Future Modifications in Nursing Practice
Nurses have to always change their work to better meet the spiritual and whole requirements of their patients. Important revisions could be:
Pursuing ongoing education on cultural and spiritual competency will help one to improve knowledge of many ideas and practices.
Working together with chaplains, spiritual counsellors, and alternative treatment specialists guarantees holistic care through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Encouragement of healthcare facilities to identify and include evidence-based holistic methods into their treatment plans is policy advocacy.
Reflective practice is the process of self-examination to find and correct prejudices that might affect the way one provides care.
These modifications will help nurses to deliver better patient-centered, inclusive treatment that honours the several needs of their patients.
Final Thought
For clients with chronic medical illnesses, spirituality and holistic practices are quite helpful elements of treatment. By means of active listening, advocacy, and culturally sensitive treatment, nurses significantly help to recognise and meet these requirements. Although some conflicts of interest could develop, honest communication and moral behaviour help to reduce them. Nurses may guarantee that their work stays client-centered, empathetic, and inclusive by always improving their knowledge of spirituality in healthcare and skill set.
Notes of reference
American Nurses Association (ANA) 2021 Code of ethics for nurses including interpretive comments. AN American Nurses Association.
Ferrell, B. R. 2022; Puchalski, C. M. Making health care entire by including spirituality into patient treatment. Press Templeton, Templeton.
Reiki.org., 2023 Reiki what is? extracted from https://www.reiki.org.
WHO, World Health Organisation (2021). WHO worldwide 2019 traditional and complementary medicine report. obtained from https://www.who.int
QUESTION
We are progressing through our course. This module may deal with a more personal client issue. Spirituality, Personal Touch, Mind over Matter issues.
Please write on the following topic:
- Many clients who have chronic medical conditions may turn to spirituality, therapeutic touch, or Eastern medicine such as Reiki for healing.
Please address the following areas in your assignment:
- Identification of clients need for spirituality
- Your role as a registered nurse in providing support for your client.
- Demonstrate client-centered care with respect to their personal preferences, experiences, cultural and spiritual beliefs
- Is there any potential conflict of interest?
- Will you make changes in future nursing practice?
Your assignment topic is based on a selected topic. 750-1000 words. Must follow APA 7th edition formatting, all assignments must include a cover page, no abstract required, double spaced, in-text citations from references within the past five (5) years. Listed references must be placed on a separate page in alphabetical order. The grading rubric is attached below. If assistance is needed regarding the development of an APA-style. Please reach out to the campus library, the writing center, consult PURDUE OWL, and consult with me for assistance.
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