Spirituality is a significant element in life as it plays an indispensable role. A person's morals, perceptions, and character are highly influenced by their spiritual position and beliefs as these forms a baseline for human life. Even those who are considered 'not spiritual' have some code they love by, as human beings are programmed to have ethics. Spiritual assessment is, therefore, an essential factor that ensures that patients connect with the nurses as they can fully offer the best services possible for each unique individual to increase their chances of recovery. This essay hopes to reveal that spiritual assessment is crucial for nurses to be able to fully comprehend their patients and get a better understanding of what to do to improve the recovery process.
I performed a spiritual assessment of a young lady, Mrs. Green, who was aged thirty-five and was a mother to four children. She had type-one diabetes which led to her being a patient in our hospital. This essay aims at depicting that the right use of the spiritual assessment tools is mandatory for effective research and results when interviewing patients. Below is an interview transcript that shows Mrs. Green’s religious and spiritual position.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
1. What motivates you? What gives you strength and hope?
I would say my family is my greatest motivation. On the other hand, my faith is a crucial source of hope and encouragement for a better tomorrow. When my family visits, they like to encourage me through singing alongside me Christian songs that I find inspiring and also offer a significant pillar of support.
2. What is your view on prayer, do you believe it works?
Yes, I do. Prayer is one of the most sacred ways of communicating with God, and it leaves me peaceful afterward. I pray a lot, in the morning, before I sleep, before I eat, mainly before I do anything I have to pray and ask God to be my guide.
3. What are your spiritual goals?
I want to draw closer to God. I feel like I’ve been a more dedicated Christian since my diagnosis and eventual admission to hospital and would like to explore more on Christianity to get a better understanding of God and what He expects of me.
4. Would you acknowledge faith a significant aspect of your healing process?
Faith is what drives me and keeps me going. I have faith that one day, I’ll wake up and not have to experience any pain and I will be home with my children and family. It helps me cope with this illness, as hope is a vital thing for us to hold onto.
5. What motivates you on a day to day basis?
Mostly my family and the fact that I believe I will get better soon. It can b demoralizing to wake up one morning and feel so energized, only for the evening to come and find yourself in the emergency room. I love my family dearly, my children even more, and seeing their smiles and encouraging texts keeps me going.
6. How has the illness affected your family?
Well, my family is one that consists of people who are religious and have a strong belief system, so I cannot say they are affected as much. They see my suffering and sympathize. However, they do believe I will get better. It has played a significant role in reuniting tray family members and reinforcing bonds that were there befor3. My concern is for little boys, as I fear to leave them without a mother.
7. How would you like us to support you spiritually?
You have already done so much by taking the time to ask me these questions. It has prompted me to reflect on a lot of things. I would, however, like to be listening to TD Jakes’ sermons every Friday since he is an outstanding preacher, and his teachings lift my spirits.
Spiritual assessment is a crucial part of medical training as one gets better insight and more personal experience with each patient thus identifying the best strategies to use in the healing process. Hodge explains that spiritual assessment is a way of understanding a patient's beliefs and concerns (2015a). My interview with Mrs. Green was productive since I found her alert and in a talkative mood. I started by enquiring whether she liked her new room, the new nurse and how she felt about her medication, which she complained about it a bit.
She argued that the injections left her feeling weak and I promised to review the drug. This act cheered her mood eventually and paved the way for a heart to heart conversation that was to take place. When she suggested we go outside and have a walk, her mood was even more elevated thus allowing her to be open and trusting and this way, the maximum results were obtained ( Stead & Stead 2016) . The interview was smooth with minimal interruptions.
Mrs. Green was relatable, expressing her thoughts and ideas with maximum articulation. She gave examples and made jokes which significantly changed the atmosphere for a genuine conversation. She, however, broke down on my last question, which asked how her family was coping with her illness. Her concern centered around her children, who she felt were too young to have to live without their mother. When I asked her about her faith, she exuded confidence although this was not the case for topics on her family as she always worried about what should happen to her children should she die then.
I did my best to reassure her, reminding her of the significant progress she had made health wise and constantly referencing her faith. When setting up my spiritual assessment tools in the future, I will be careful to evade sensitive topics such as the effects of the patient's illness on their families as this seems to upset them( Greene 2017) .
A comprehensive assessment is not necessary in her case because although the patient seemed to possess spiritual silence, she was open-minded and believed in possibilities. She is spiritually committed and hinted that the only service she would like was to have someone bring her a sermon by her favorite preacher every Friday. Other factors that I considered were religious norms and cultural competence which proved inconclusive hence no need for comprehensive assessment in the future (Hodge 2015b).
This tool will be helpful in future evaluations and will aid in providing appropriate strategies that will assist in determining the needs of my patients. It is an open tool that contains general questions, therefore, giving room for the patient to answer positive or negatively. The interviews aid me to comprehend the complex aspects of religion and opening up my mind to a world of possibilities. It also assists in determining administrative and service-based problems as the patient's open up about their experiences in the hospital and with the hospitality.
My conclusion rests on the fact that stress and illness did indeed amplify the needs of my interviewee and similarly, her spiritual concerns. Mrs. Green seemed to want to draw even closer to God, pointing out that that was here she found solace. Due to her belief that her faith will be crucial in her healing and recovery process, she asked that someone bring her a sermon on a weekly basis, as this would encourage and motivate her. Mrs. Green then expresses her concern for her family as she worries about her young children but mentions that as a Christian, she believed God was in control.
References
Greene, R. R. (2017). Social work with the aged and their families . Routledge.
Hodge, D. R. (2015a). Administering a two‐stage spiritual assessment in healthcare settings: a necessary component of ethical and effective care. Journal of nursing management , 23 (1), 27-38.
Hodge, D. R. (2015b). Spiritual assessment in social work and mental health practice . Columbia University Press.
Stead, J. G., & Stead, W. E. (2016). Spiritual capabilities: keys to successful sustainable strategic management. In Spirituality and Sustainability (pp. 89-103). Springer, Cham.
