Spiritual Care
What is your definition of spiritual care? How does it differ or accord with the description given in the topic readings? Explain.
Sample Answer
Spiritual Care
My definition of spiritual care is similar to the one provided in the topic readings. Therefore, I believe that spirituality can help individuals find the purpose and meaning of the things they value and is something that everyone can experience. I agree with the topic readings that spirituality can bring hope to individuals going through loss and suffering. Through spirituality, individuals can therefore anchor their hope and be more optimistic for their future. Spirituality also plays a significant role in encouraging individuals to seek peace with themselves and others. I, therefore, believe that spiritual care should attend to a person’s spiritual or religious needs as they cope with illness is grief, and loss. Spiritual care helps patients heal physically and emotionally, regain a sense of spiritual well-being and rebuild relationships.
In most instances, spirituality will therefore become important in times of distress, physical and mental illness, emotional stress, bereavement, loss, and approach of death. Even if the role of health caregivers is to help to cure illnesses and relieve pain, health caregivers should try to do more. Providing spiritual care can help a caregiver heal the diseases or illnesses facing their patients and provide healing to the holistic individual (Hvidt et al., 2020). Through spiritual care, health caregivers can have their patients view life as being made up of bad and good experiences that can help them learn, develop, and mature. Health caregivers should therefore provide spiritual care to all patients through respect to different religious and spiritual paths.
Reference
- Hvidt, N. C., Nielsen, K. T., Kørup, A. K., Prinds, C., Hansen, D. G., Viftrup, D. T., Assing Hvidt, E., Hammer, E. R., Falkø, E., Locher, F., Boelsbjerg, H. B., Wallin, J. A., Thomsen, K. F., Schrøder, K., Moestrup, L., Nissen, R. D., Stewart-Ferrer, S., Stripp, T. K., Steenfeldt, V. S., . . . Wæhrens, E. E. (2020). What is spiritual care? Professional perspectives on the concept of spiritual care identified through group concept mapping. BMJ Open, 10(12), e042142. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042142
