SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF A PATIENT WITH ACUTE ILLNESS •For an atheist or the agnostic, coping with acute

symptoms of an illness maybe expressed differently and

ACUTE ILLNESS for some, maybe more difficult
• a rapidly occurring illness that runs its course, allowing Atheist- deny the existence of god
the person to return to his/her previous level of Agnostic- uncertainty on existence
functioning (Taylor, Lillis and Lemone, 1997)
• Characterized by symptoms that are relatively short Nurse Role: Spiritual care must be creative and tailored
duration, are usually severe and affect the functioning to assist the patient in relation to his/her faith lack of
of the client in all dimensions (Potter and Perry,1997 faith.
•A number of “Chronic” disease conditions may begin
or end with an acute illness phase or manifest acute How to give meaningful spiritual care to those with
symptoms during period of exacerbation over the different worldview?
course of illness. -Seek common ground.
•Example: Chronic Renal Failure (CRF), HIV, Cancer - Listen carefully from the heart.
-Seek meaningful dialog.
-Don't make assumption.
SPIRITUAL NEEDS IN ACUTE ILLNESS -Validate before drawing conclusion
• With acute illness, patients may have significant life - Approach every person as a child of God.
changes both physically and emotionally,
• Fear of possible death and disability can occur Spiritual healthy- ability to define the purpose of his life
• Psychological depression from acute pain and fatigue
• Question Gods will and even express anger towards
Him
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF A PERIOPERATIVE PATIENT
NURSE ROLE:
PERIOPERATIVE refers to the period encompassing the
•Be alert in assessing the spiritual concerns and needs
preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative
of the patient. For example patients comments “I
experiences.
wonder where God is in all this?”
Preoperative phase-begins with the plan to carry out
Develop positive relation to help spiritual care
the surgery and ends with the actual transfer of a
Consider the severity of symptoms of the patient
patient to the operating room (OR)
Intraoperative phase- covers the period of the actual
• Listen
surgical procedure
•Be present
Postoperative phase- begins with the transfer of the
•Read Scriptures (If acceptable to the patient and
patient out of the OR to recovery and continues to the
nurse)
time of discharge from physicians care
• Make referral to the chaplain or other pastoral care
giver
PERIOPERATIVE PATIENT
Most frequently identified causes of fear:
SPIRITUAL HEALTH IN ACUTE ILLNESS
- Fear of the unknown
“The strength of a clients spirituality influences how he
- Fear of pain or death
or she copes with sudden illness and how quickly he or
- Fear of changes in body image and self-concept
she can move to recovery" (Peterson and Potter, 1997)

PERIOPERATIVE NURSE ROLE:

SPIRITUAL HEALTH- can be defined as a state of well
• Identify the patients belief using the patient history
being and equilibrium in that part of a persons essence
and provide spiritual care through "acceptance,
and existence which transcends to realm and relates to
participation in prayer or referral to clergy or
the ultimate good
chaplain.(Taylor, Lillis and Lemone, 1997)
•Regardless of religion, discussing spiritual concerns is
SPIRITUAL HEALTH IS THE PATH TO INNER PEACE
therapeutic (Burns, 1996)
REGARDLESS OF THE TURMOIL AROUND YOU
•Explore the type of spiritual practices to which the
patient relates then provide materials or make
•An acutely ill person who is spiritually healthy can find
appropriate referral (Phippen, 1994)
comfort and strength in his /her spiritual and religious
•Avoid judgmental attitudes about patients’ religious
philosophy in life.
beliefs and practices.
•Pray with patient
Nurse Role: Anticipate spiritual needs related to
•Music Therapy
traditional religious belief and practice.
Music therapy – contemporary post-operative strategy
•Simply asking the patients awareness to impending
surgery is a supportive approach.
• Provide words of encouragement to anxious family
members or friends.
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF ICU PATIENT
ICU (Intensive Care Unit) or CCU (Critical Care Unit)
- Were developed to sustain individuals who might not
otherwise survive a serious physiologic deficit or a
complex surgical procedure such as Acute Myocardial
Infarction or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
ICU / CCU
Stressors:
-Host to many medical machines
- Emergency intubation or code blue
- Social isolation
- Excessive noise and lack of sleep
- Lack of personal autonomy
-Feeling of helplessness
NURSE'S ROLE FOR CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS IN
ICU/CCU
• Assess the patients spiritual or religious beliefs,
practices and current needs from the chart and family.
•Pray with the patient using patients own words in
relation to illness related needs.
•Contact a chaplain or pastoral care provider
Basic Postures In Providing Spiritual Care In Critical
Care Setting (Gillman, Et Al., 1996)
1. INCLUSION: nurse should try to imagine what the ICU
experience must be like for the patient
2. CONFIRMATION: nurse should support the patients
personal spiritual goals
3. MUTUALITY: spirit of cooperation between the nurse
and patient in seeking healing
Tasks of Spiritual Care Provider in CCU
(Stromberg, 1992)
1. Listening empathetically
2. Confronting reality
3. Being a “fellow pilgrim” on the patients spiritual
journey.
•A sometimes neglected yet no less important
dimension of spiritual care for ICU patient is that of
providing care and support to the patients family
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENT
EMERGENCY: defined as any sudden illness or injury
that is perceived to be a crisis threatening the physical
or psychological wellbeing of a person or a group.
Goal of Emergency Department is to provide care for
the acutely sick and injured.
-Most ED are also involved in prehospital care.
EMERGENCY NURSING
defined as assessment, diagnosis and treatment of
perceived actual or potential, sudden or urgent
physiologic or psychosocial problems that are primarily
episodic or acute.
Key role of Emergency Department Nurse is Triage, or
initial assessment of the patients condition in order to
determine priority care needs
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENT
Spiritual care and support maybe an important need
both for patient and family in an emergency situation,
especially if the admitting diagnosis is a life-threatening
dimension.
-Establishing a trusting relationship with the patient
- Maintaining a supportive environment such as
providing privacy and identifying religious resources
-Recognize the role of nurse in “healing the whole ,
person"
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE PATIENT IN PAIN
PAIN- is whatever the experiencing person says it is,
existing whenever the experiencing person says it does.
- Subjective perception of distress
THREE CATEGORIES OF PAIN
1. Acute pain- follows acute injury, disease or surgical
intervention and has rapid onset, varying in intensity
and lasting a brief time
2. Chronic Pain- pain that persists longer than 3 months,
cannot be eliminated, often becomes diffuse, may
originally have been acute and has insidious onset.
3. Chronic Pain of Malignancy- pain that lasts for more
than 6 months, after tissue damage has healed or in the
absence of evident tissue damage.
THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR PAIN RELIEF
1. Pharmacologic
2. Physiologic -acupuncture, acupressure, cutaneous
stimulation
3. Nonpharmacologic-meditation, relaxation, guided
imagery
SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE PATIENT IN PAIN
Religious beliefs can be important to pain experience as
they may provide support and strength through such
activities as prayer.

Religious or spiritual beliefs may also provide the person

in pain with a vehicle for finding meaning and suffering
or for "offering" the pain experience to God

Nurse's Role:
•Recommend or participate in prayer
•Seeking counsel of a chaplain
•Use of Spiritual Imagery
•Sometimes, the nurse's presence is an important
spiritual intervention.