A spirit is something that may be felt in the essence of the world but ultimately guides understanding into the meaning of life. Spirituality is often perceived in different ways by different cultures, religions, families, or even the individual. Often, the common theme that spirituality focuses on something greater than the physical world and allows people to feel connected to what it truly means to be a human on earth. Though spirituality and religion are separate concepts, many believe they are intrinsically linked. One such person is a freshman nursing student, Rachel. Rachel believes that spirituality is the free thought that is supported by the institution of religion. Many often believe religion to be more based around rules and customs …show more content…
Though she finds strength and security in God, she also acquires these traits from other sources. A main source of strength for her is her family. She is lucky enough to come from a home in which her parents are still married and she believes their strength in marriage has provided her and her sister strength in life. She knows her family will always be there if she were to need them and she finds comfort in their unconditional love. Rachel also feels secure in the connections she has with her friends, peers, and her boyfriend. Knowing she has a support system to fall back on allows her to reach for things she may otherwise not. Having people who love and care for her shows her meaning in life and guides her to do the same for others. This is one of the main reasons she is pursuing the career of nursing. Helping and being supported by others is where she finds meaning in life and she wants to be able to share this with all that she …show more content…
As a nurse, she hopes to become more cultured in the different beliefs of others in order to truly care for her patients in the best way. Having an understanding of what gives her strength, however, will allow her to perhaps offer guidance to those who feel lost or even pray with those who find peace in religion. Though she may not always understand the practices of others, she knows that spirituality has the power to truly help heal those in need and she plans to respect all practices and only intervene if the practices seem detrimental to the health of the patient or
Spiritual beliefs can help provide acceptance and understanding to the different cycles of life. In the clinical setting a dying or ill patient may request a visit from a spiritual leader. Also, spiritual beliefs can affect the type of care a client receives. For example, Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusions. If a client does not want a blood transfusion the ultimate result could be death. Additionally, a client may bring their spiritual beliefs and values into question when illness or death occurs. Overall, a nurse in a clinical setting should recognize their client’s beliefs and values to clearly understand the clients and their family’s healthcare decisions.
Introduction Faith Community Nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as well as on the promotion of holistic health and prevention or minimization of illness within the context of a faith community” (ANA, 2012, as cited in Breisch, Hurley, & Moore, 2013 p. 12). When you think about faith community nursing, the term “wholistic” probably comes to mind. This is not to say that other nursing disciplines do not incorporate holistic care into practice, however, spiritualism can easily be neglected due to sensitivity, barriers, or clear differences between the nurse and patient beliefs. There are four key components of faith community nursing which include spirituality, professionalism, holistic health, and community. With faith community nursing there are no barriers when it comes to spiritualism, because the congregator and nurse often share common beliefs, therefore nursing skills along with spiritual support can be incorporated into care.
Religion has 7 core attributes that allow someone to call it a religion, these include Narrative, Doctrine, Emotional, Material, Ethical, Ritual and Social. These seven attributes help individuals identify what can be classified as a “religion”, however spirituality has no “easy way” to identifying it. Spirituality can be found within the individual looking for their “meaning” but not physically expressed.
Spirit is the embodiment of the spirit within ourselves, and it is essential to our very existence and human beings. We can describe, or represent it in any way, but it will always be Spirit that dwells within humans, and it what has made humans to great.
I am grateful to be at an institution of higher learning that understands and respects faith. My philosophy of nursing cannot be explained without God and Jesus. They are a part of each one of us. The reason that someone goes into a healthcare professional is usually to favorably treat a patient’s health. Spirituality of mind and body cannot be separated completely in my nursing philosophy. In this vein, nursing cannot be wholly separated from faith.
The career of nursing has countless aspects that are imperative for the effectiveness and overall satisfaction of care for the average person. These aspects include physical care, mental health care, and spiritual care. The aspect of spiritual care includes the nurse assessing her clients’ spiritual health and creating a plan for complete treatment. Spirituality may be a specific object or person the client connects with, so nurses must be aware of each client’s spiritual preference. The United States has a vast diversity of people where every client the nurse encounters will value something completely different. More religious people might value a cross or a bible in their room. Some might want their family to frequently visit. Others might prefer a certain type of music playing at a certain time of the day. With violent protests, mass shootings, and threat of war looming over the Unites States’ head every day, spiritual care is going to be on a major upsurge in the health career fields.
Religion is a significant aspect of culture that must be understood and respected. Through understanding the differences in peoples cultures, a nurse who is tending to a patient who’s beliefs differ from his or her own can appropriately adjust care to respect the patient’s beliefs and
When I hear the words “Spirituality” and “Religion,” I think about “Spirituality.” I was never taught “Religion” nor was I interested in it. The closest I have ever been to feeling like I believed in something was when I learned about Transcendentalism. I see Transcendentalism as a way all living things connect. I believe Transcendentalism relates more to “Spirituality” than “Religion.” Although I don’t believe in a greater being, I do believe we all connect in more ways than one.
...locking out the idea. Spirituality also assists in fostering a healthy patient. Many individuals believe in a higher power and therefore we as nurses should encourage that connection when we see it being made. Spiritual connections are a way to give the patient an outlet. They are able to express themselves and rely on something other than physical care and diagnoses. They are about to look to this higher being for encouragement, peace, and healing.
My spiritual wellness is what I believe in life. I believe in my religion which is Christianity and its beliefs. I keep myself motivated through faith by the morals and beliefs throughout the day. Spiritual wellness is your purpose in life and that is an important part that has to do with your
My chosen major of study is nursing and within the nursing field there are a lot of situations that the grasp of religion can be helpful. It is very important for a nurse or healthcare worker to understand the differences and rituals of different religions, but equally significant not to express your personal beliefs because it could offend a patient and cause emotional distress. As a nurse, it is essential to have culturally diverse knowledge to provide individualized, patient-centered care. Not only will I need to know my patients’ cultural and religious beliefs, but my understanding of the rationales supporting those beliefs are also important because they can impact my patients’ care. After researching I learned it is crucial to ask the
In healthcare organizations, medical staff must conform to their hospital and their country’s code of conduct. Not only do they have to meet set standards, they must also take their patient into consideration. When making a decision upon a patient, medical staff must recognize religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. By understanding a patients’ beliefs and their belief system, a medical worker can give the patient their deserved medical assistance without overstepping boundaries or coming off as offensive. The practices and beliefs of four religions will be articulated throughout this essay to fully understand how religion can either help or hinder the healing process.
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” According to Buddha, everyone needs some form of spirituality to define his or her life and existence. Webster Dictionary defines spiritualism as “a system of beliefs or religious practices based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, often times through mediums.” Though this is one general definition of spiritualism, this concept is one that does not hold a conclusive meaning. Each and every single person has the ability and right to create and practice their own idea of spiritualism. From ancient times to present day, the term and practice of spirituality has transformed, particularly from region to region. Despite the discrepancies in practices and overall understanding of this idea, spirituality has had an effect and impact upon all of humanity since the creation of time. This religion that is believed to have been established in the early eighteen hundreds, after two little girls claimed to have the ability to talk to spirits, sparked interest in this spiritual movement, allowing it to spread rather rapidly over many geographical locations. Aside from being recognized as a religion, spiritualism is also believed to be a form of philosophy and a science in which spiritualists believe that there is life after death and try to demonstrate this through the ability of attempting to communicate with those that have passed on. Spiritualism was socially different from other religions in existence at the time because it presented followers with a more tolerant belief system that assimilated the principles and facts from a selection the world's religions. Spiritualism also made it acceptable for women to play a disti...
Spirituality can have many different definitions, depending on who is asked. It can be something as simple as looking for a higher meaning to life, or something so complex that one can base their beliefs, religion and overall life around it. There are several different ways to express one's spirituality; rituals, songs, dances, stories, and writings are all common methods of expression.
Ganga and Kutty stated (2013) spirituality refers to a path of life that enables people to seek reason of their existence and helps people explore challenges. Ganga and Kutty (2013) conducted a study on adults to see if spirituality had positive effects on their life, meaning did their life have purpose or value. Each participant partook in a study that asked questions about their life and purpose. The study consisted of a daily spiritual experience scale, it was a point scale that consist of 16 items to be rated on a 6-point scale. The results concluded that spirituality has positive effects on their life when seeking their purpose. Each participant felt that he/she had a purpose and that their life was valuable and meaningful (Ganga and Kutty, 2013). According to Ganga and Kutty (2013), spirituality is a way for people to discover the meaning of their life. Spirituality is a personal adventure to understand answers to the questions they seek to find about their spirituality and purpose in life. It says spirituality is a set of beliefs and practices that concludes with life changing paths that make a person’s life meaningful. Spirituality has been viewed as an important factor when realizing the purpose of life. Ganga and Kutty (2013) expressed spirituality enhances our emotions, thoughts, beliefs, relieves stress and it finds meaning and purpose of one’s life. I believe