Spiritual Crisis In Nursing

Nursing professionals deal with a lot of stress in the course of their duty and this could lead to burnouts, and frustration. They absorb both positive and negative aura constantly when dealing with suffering and dying patients and their families. Due to their close proximity with patients, they stand the risk of getting blamed when situations become unpleasant. However, the most important factor to recall is that nursing is all about compassionate and non-judgmental care.

It is imperative to note that many patients believe that their illness is a form of punishment from God perhaps because of a past sin or an unfulfilled promise. When this happens, they lose hope and begin to turn alienate themselves in lieu of seeking the face of God.

It is imperative that they trust and lean on God for guidance during times like these. The Christian nurse can draw consolation from the words of Jesus when burdened with guilt associated with the patient’s sickness and suffering. According to 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (ESV) Nurses may not associate the patient’s problem with spirituality if they (the nurse) are not spiritually healthy, likewise they may not be able to fully help the patient if their suffering is persistent and without hope. However, compassionate caring goes a long way in alleviating the worries of the patient which will further relieve the worry and stress felt by the

The parable of the prodigal son teaches about patience, kindness and forgiveness amongst other qualities exhibited by the father towards the son and this can be used as a sounding board by nurses when dealing with patients who become irate and violent due to the nature of their illness. Most importantly, it teaches us that God always wants us to come back to him; therefore Nurses need to forgive and not take it personal when such situations arise rather, they should learn from it considering that there is a glimmer of hope with each new experience which can lead to spiritual growth. Self-help or group based support groups are also important because experiences which can be learned from are shared and difficult situations can be put into perspective with