Response to Natalie Mota DQ one
****** please respond to the discussion question below add citations and references 🙂 *******
When I think of spirituality, I think of a feeling or uplifting of good that is within myself. I feel spirituality is something bigger than myself or something that is this unseen feeling within ourselves that gives off positive energy. However, to define spirituality, it is “a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life” (Taking Charge, 2016). “It is a universal human experience-something that touches us all”(Taking Charge, 2016). When talking about spirituality it is associated with a church, temple, or synagogue, or whatever it may be that someone can connect and find spirituality in. It is not a religion, because you can practice spirituality without religion, because it is more of an individual practice, and has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose. It has a relationship with developing beliefs around the meaning of life and connection with others, without any set spiritual values.
“Spirituality is recognized as a factor that contributes to health in many persons” (Puchalski, 2011). This statement stands out a lot to me because in our everyday practice we may not get around to talking about spirituality, but it is something we should address with our patients. When talking about spirituality and patient care this is a topic that isn’t taught in nursing school and there is no training on how to do it. However, I can think of the many times when patients asked me of what I believe in or I see how they believe in things differently than I do. For one, I have to assess my own spirituality and my beliefs and it will reflect on how I care for patients. I feel my spiritually has helped patients by being with them at their lowest, guiding them to be in their best state of health, and most of all being compassionate. I see so many different patients’ day in and day out, and I can remember when a patient came in for abdominal pain, she thought nothing of it, until she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and I was there with the doctor when he told her the news. Being a new grad, this was my first time experiencing this situation and I had no previous training on how to handle a situation like this. I mean, in general there is no training on how to deal with a situation like this. All I knew was that in my heart I had to be there for my patient and comfort her. Later on in the day I got around to her and we started talking and we prayed together and even my director got around to talk to her and prayed with her as well. In an experience Ive never dealt with, I feel my spirituality was able to help my patient.
Taking Charge. (2016). What is Spirituality?https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-spirituality
Puchalski C. M. (2001). The role of spirituality in health care. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 14(4), 352–357. doi:10.1080/08998280.2001.11927788
