Theoretical Framework for Spirituality, Coursework Example

Introduction

Spirituality in nursing practice supports the recognition of new approaches to providing optimal care and treatment to patients. However, spirituality is often not easily accepted by nurses in many scenarios due to personal beliefs and misconceptions regarding its meaning within nursing practice. It is necessary to identify a clearer definition of spirituality as it applies to nursing in order to facilitate greater application of this phenomenon as a positive influence on patients (Miner-Williams, 2006). Therefore, a clear definition of spirituality must be identified and applied to nursing practice to facilitate expanded support in this area of focus (Miner-Williams, 2006). Nursing has been built upon a spiritual focus from its inception; nonetheless, many nurses and the practice as a whole have gotten away from adopting a spiritual focus in recent decades, perhaps due in large part to political influences that override healthcare in the modern era (Miner-Williams, 2006). The following discussion will address the impact of spirituality on nursing practice in modern settings, emphasizing the meaning of spirituality and its integration into daily nursing roles, responsibilities, and research endeavors.

Analysis

From a nursing-based perspective, spirituality in patient care is most often considered at the end of life, when spirituality is identified as a means of reflection and acceptance of health status (Miner-Williams, 2006). However, spirituality is also present in other settings beyond end of life care (Miner-Williams, 2006). Spirituality is defined in many ways, but the overarching theme is a divine presence within that guides individuals through good and bad (Miner-Williams, 2006). Spirituality is significant in the lives of many patients and should be taken seriously by nurses so that patients experience a greater level of comfort with their surroundings and a greater faith in the unknown (Miner-Williams, 2006). Nurses must enhance these principles and consider how to increase patient acceptance of their conditions using spiritual guidance in the process (Miner-Williams, 2006).

Some nurses face a crisis of their own faith when providing care and treatment to patients because they are unable to grasp the meaning behind spirituality and its true influence on nursing practice (Swinton and Pattison, 2010). Since spirituality is a highly individualistic concept, it poses a number of challenging questions for nursing experts who might claim that it does not have a well-defined purpose in nursing practice (Swinton and Pattison, 2010). However, this lack of cohesion is perhaps the most important component, as nurses are able to utilize their own spiritual means in different ways to adapt to a variety of situations in nursing practice (Swinton and Pattison, 2010). The complex and highly diverse nature of the role of spirituality in nursing practice is essential to the discovery and utilization of inner strength and courage to promote optimal patient care and wellbeing (Swinton and Pattison, 2010).

Chan (2010) addresses the importance of nursing practice in providing a sense of wellbeing and an astute level of attention and focus on patients and their needs. These developments support the creation of an environment that is supportive of patients from a well-rounded perspective and considers the adoption of new approaches to positively influence patient care (Chan, 2010). It is not sufficient to provide adequate patient care in today’s nursing environments; rather, it is necessary to provide care that is compassionate, understanding, and filled with support and guidance (Chan, 2010). These principles are the cornerstone of modern nursing practice and go above and beyond standard of care requirements because nurses must not only act in a clinical capacity towards their patients, but must also demonstrate a true emotional connection to their patients to promote a greater sense of spiritual understanding in order to promote healing and recovery (Chan, 2010).

Spirituality in nursing also requires a greater understanding of its application to patient care from a holistic perspective (Shores, 2010). Nurses are educated regarding the needs of their patients, including the provision of spiritual care (Shores, 2010).In addition, nursing students often demonstrate spiritual beliefs early on before their careers begin to flourish, and these principles are integrated into their daily practices in the workplace setting (Shores, 2010). It is of considerable importance that nurses provide effective emotional and psychological support for their patients, regardless of their condition, as this is a critical component of comprehensive nursing care and treatment for all patients (Shores, 2010). From this perspective, it is essential to develop new strategies and approaches to incorporate spiritual beliefs and practices into the daily nursing routine in an effort to provide patients with optimal conditions for recovery and wellbeing over the long term (Shores, 2010).

Conclusion

Nurses must develop means of influencing their practice methods through different perspectives and approaches to treating their patients. It is important to identify these concerns and to integrate spirituality in different ways for patients facing a variety of circumstances. Although spirituality in nursing practice is highly individualized, it represents an opportunity to convey the challenges and considerations of each patient and his or her own beliefs regarding the integration of spirituality into their care and treatment plans. In addition, nurses must convey general emotional and psychological support for their patients in order to accomplish the desired treatment objectives. It is likely that the expanded integration of spirituality into nursing practice will provide patients with a means for recovery and survival, as well as a connection to these patients to support their emotional and psychological needs during hospitalization or while under treatment.

References

Chan, M.F. (2010). Factors affecting nursing staff in practicing spiritual care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(15-16), 2128-2136.

Miner-Williams, D. (2006). Putting a puzzle together: making spirituality meaningful for nursing using an evolving theoretical framework. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(7), 811-821.

Shores, C.I. (2010). Spiritual perspectives of nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(1), 8-11.

Swinton, J., and Pattison, S. (2010). Moving beyond clarity: towards a thin, vague, and useful understanding of spirituality in nursing care. Nursing Philosophy, 11(4), 226-237.