Spiritual Needs of the Muslim Elderly Living in Nursing Homes: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Religion and Health - Paying attention to and meeting the needs of people who are elderly helps to improve their health. Caring for the elderly includes addressing...     

The Spiritual Needs and Resources of Hospitalized Primary Care Patients

Previous studies have recognized the importance of hospitalized primary care patients’ spiritual issues and needs. The sources patients consult to address these spiritual issues, including the role of their attending physician, have been largely unstudied. We sought to study patients’ internal and external resources for addressing spiritual questions, while also exploring the physician’s role in providing spiritual care. Our multicenter observational study evaluated 326 inpatients admitted to primary care physicians in four midwestern hospitals. We assessed how frequently these patients identified spiritual concerns during their hospitalization, the manner in which spiritual questions were addressed, patients’ desires for spiritual interaction, and patient outcome measures associated with spiritual care. Nearly 30% of respondents (referred to as “R/S respondents”) reported religious struggle or spiritual issues associated specifically with their hospitalization. Eight-three percent utilized internal religious coping for dealing with spiritual issues. Chaplains, clergy, or church members visited 54% of R/S respondents; 94% found those visits helpful. Family provided spiritual support to 45% of R/S respondents. Eight percent of R/S respondents desired, but only one patient actually received, spiritual interaction with their physician, even though 64% of these patients’ physicians agreed that doctors should address spiritual issues with their patients. We conclude that inpatients quite commonly utilize internal resources and quite rarely utilize physicians for addressing their spiritual issues. Spiritual caregiving is well received and is primarily accomplished by professionals, dedicated laypersons, or family members. A significantly higher percentage of R/S patients desire spiritual interaction with their physician than those who actually receive it.     

Spiritual Care: Recognizing Spiritual Needs of Older Adults

SUMMARY

This paper explores aspects of spiritual needs and assessment, while emphasizing the importance of aged care providers being spiritually self-aware. The context of this exploration is meaning in life, spirituality and quality of life as experienced by older adults. Depression and dementia are frequently seen among older adults in residential aged care with resultant lowered quality of life. Pastoral and spiritual care may be used effectively to help alleviate depression and support older people who have dementia. However, to be able to provide appropriate spiritual care, spiritual needs should be assessed. Ways of assessing spiritual needs are suggested.     

Determining the Cultural Care Needs of Infertile Couples in Turkey: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Cultural Competence Model

Journal of Religion and Health - The cultural competence model is an ethnographic model created to improve the cultural understanding of people’s status in the context of health, health...     

Identifying Training Needs of Health-Care Providers Related to Treatment and Care of Transgendered Patients: A Qualitative Needs Assessment Conducted in New England

SUMMARY

The Transgender Training Project of the New England AIDS Education and Training Center has been providing training on transgender-related issues to health-care providers in the New England region since 1999, having trained nearly 600 providers in that time. The Transgender Training Project embarked on a study during the 2001–2002 grant year to interview providers of HIV-related care and advocacy on their knowledge and experience with working with trans-gendered people and to assess training needs to increase their effectiveness with transgendered clients.

The methodology consisted of face-to-face interviews with 13 providers of HIV treatment and care who are affiliated with the New England AIDS Education and Training Center network to discuss clinical challenges in working with transgendered people.

In this exploratory study, we found that providers had:

1. Desire to treat transgendered patients respectfully but admitted discomfort and lack of tools for specific interviewing/assessments.

2. Experience with a range of transgendered patients, but lack of information on distinctions among transgendered experiences.

3. Restrictions based on time constraints that create an overarching barrier in building trusting relationships with clients, and trusting relationships are integral to quality care.

4. Concern and frustration with lack of information, studies and research.

5. Concern and frustration with lack of treatment guidelines, (or ability to access them), referral contacts and ways to advocate for transgender clients.

6. Belief that training by transgendered people themselves was an essential teaching element.

These results point to the need for the development and dissemination of specific training materials and resources for health-care providers serving transgendered people living with or at risk for HIV.     

Spiritual Needs and Practices of Counselor Education Students

This study examined the self‐reported value of spirituality, types of spiritual practices, and values of 69 counselor education students. It also examined counseling students’ ideas for how to increase their comfort with incorporating spirituality into counseling practice. Implications for implementing spirituality training in counselor education programs are addressed.     

肿瘤科护士灵性照护认知与灵性照顾能力的相关性研究

采用量性调查和质性访谈结合的方法,对肿瘤科护士灵性照护认知和灵性照顾能力现状,以及他们之间的相关性进行研究和探讨,结果显示肿瘤科护士的灵性照顾能力总分为(69.74±15.31)分,灵性照护认知得分为(174.99±24.95)分,灵性照顾能力和灵性照护认知得分之间呈正相关(r=0.307,P<0.001),说明肿瘤科灵性照顾能力和灵性照护认知有待进一步提升,可通过干预或培训提升肿瘤科护士的灵性照护认知,从而提高其灵性照顾能力。     

社区护理病房中长期慢性病患者的照料服务机制——基于质性研究的方法

现有社区护理病房照料服务存在不能充分满足患者的深层需求、生活质量不佳的问题。访谈材料显示出由于照料者缺乏对“善终”概念的认知,患者、家属以及医护人员的三方关系中,患者处于权力的弱势地位,主体之间在讨论死亡相关问题上存在严重的脱节。患者的意愿从表达、传递、实施等环节中都存在阻碍,患者“善终”的需求无法实现。“以患者为中心”的照料理念应在现有照料服务中加以推广,通过提升社区照料质量来满足医学关系、家庭关系和患者自身利益的既定政策目标。

     

Concordant Spiritual Orientations as a Factor in Physician--Patient Spiritual Discussions: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: To understand the impact of physicians and patients religious/spiritual orientation on discussions of spiritual issues. Methods: We performed semi-structured interviews of 10 Missouri family physicians and 10 patients of these physicians, selecting subjects nonrandomly to represent a range of demographic factors, practice types, and chronic or terminal illness. We coded and evaluated transcribed interviews for themes. Results: Respondents expressed that similar belief systems facilitate patient–physician spiritual interactions and bring confidence to their relationships. Those holding dissimilar faiths noted limited ability to address spiritual questions directly. They cited significant barriers to spiritual interaction but considered that ecumenism, use of patient-centered care, and negotiation skills lessen these barriers. Conclusions: Our respondents view spirituality similarly to other aspects of the physician–patient relationship involving differing viewpoints. Where discordance exists, cross-cultural, patient-centered, diplomatic approaches facilitate spiritual discussions.     

Attitudes Toward Spirituality and Spiritual Care among Iranian Nurses and Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Addressing spiritual needs is taken into account as an integral part of holistic health care and also an important component of nursing practice. The aim of present study is to evaluate attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students at Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, all nurses (n = 180) working in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences as well as senior nursing students (n = 50) selected by the census method. Finally, 168 individuals meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated as the study sample. The data collection instrument was the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. The mean and standard deviation scores of attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students were 59 ± 10.9, and the scores obtained by the majority of study population (64.3%) ranged between 32 and 62 which were at a moderate and relatively desirable level. Nurses and nursing students working in aforementioned hospitals reported positive attitudes to spirituality and spiritual care. Given the importance of spiritual care and also the moderate level of spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students in this study, institutionalization of the concept of spirituality, provision of an appropriate context to deliver such care, and also implementation of interventions in order to improve spiritual care along with other nursing skills were assumed of utmost importance.     

Correction to: Religious and Spiritual Practices Used by Children and Adolescents to Cope with Cancer

Journal of Religion and Health -     

Guidelines to Integrate Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Occupational Therapy Education: A Modified Delphi Study

This modified Delphi study aimed to develop educational guidelines for integrating spirituality and spiritual care into occupational therapy education. The first round comprised a self-administered questionnaire, the second round used a face-to-face workshop, and last round reviewed the developed educational guidelines, which reached the highest agreement and median values greater than 3.25. A panel of 18 comprised occupational therapy educators, clinicians, and nursing experts were recruited. A total of 126 out of 142 items reached the highest agreements from the panel participants, categorized based on the content knowledge-based, importance, skills, ethics, pedagogical approaches, teaching and learning strategies, and assessment of student learning.     

Spiritual Evolution of Bereavement Counselors: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This article draws from a phenomenological study on the experience of being a bereavement counselor. Ten bereavement counselors shared their experiences in bereavement counseling. Spiritual and emotional aspects of bereavement counseling with grieving and dying persons are discussed as well as the spiritual effects on and growth processes of the bereavement counselors. Participants also describe their self‐care strategies pertaining to their bereavement counseling work.     

Holism in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction: A Course Correction

The authors offer a course correction for understanding the term holism as used in spiritually oriented psychotherapy literature. This is done to allow the relationship between psychotherapy and spirituality to expand beyond limited dualistic conceptualizations. They first address numerous sources from which spiritually oriented psychotherapy arose and then explore the ill‐defined relationship between the psychological and the spiritual dimensions of human existence. Next, holism is distinguished from 2 common forms of dualistic “elementism” that are frequently misrepresented as holism. The authors conclude by presenting a holistic conceptualization of the relationship between the dimensions of psychotherapy and spirituality.     

Models for Ministry: The Spiritual Needs of the Frail Elderly Living in Long-Term Care Facilities

ABSTRACT

Litte information has been available pertaining to the spirituality of the institutionalized elderly. This paper presents the self-perceived spiritual needs of the elderly living in long-term-care facilities. Additional information is presented indicating the clergy's perceptions of these needs.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with resident council members from three nursing homes in western North Carolina. The following three domains of spirituality were covered: (1) relationship to God; (2) relationship to church; and (3) relationship to community. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with these residents' pastors and other clergy members who minister in these three facilities. Data collected from these interviews indicates a variation between the residents' self-perceived spiritual needs and the clergy's perceptions of these needs.

Data analyses suggested a three-step process of the resident's spiritual journey in the nursing home. This process provided a model describing the spiritual journey of the nursing home resident.     

Religion Benefiting Brain Tumour Patients: A Qualitative Study

As the focus on modern neurosurgery has shifted to the realm of technological advancement, some patients and their loved ones still hold a strong faith in their religion to guide them through the process. This study aimed to determine whether religion as a coping mechanism was beneficial for patients before, during and after craniotomy. Qualitative case study methodology was used. Interviews were conducted with randomly selected 36 adult patients who underwent surgery for a benign or malignant brain tumour. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and the data subjected to thematic analysis. Four overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) religion significantly benefited neurosurgical patients; (2) neurosurgical patients did not require a dedicated religious room in the hospital; (3) neurosurgical patients required religious resources such as leaders and/or groups; and (4) patients were not in favour of their physician engaging in the religious ritual. Most patients found religion to be an effective coping mechanism, offering them strength, comfort, and hope through the surgery. The findings from this study emphasize the need for including a “religious time-out” before and after surgery and the inclusion of religious leaders/groups for those in favour to ensure quality care and patient satisfaction.     

Sensitizing Nursing Home Staff to Residents' Needs: A Workshop

Nursing home employees are often frustrated when caring for elderly residents. The author describes a workshop designed to improve staff-resident interactions by enabling employees to express frustrations, to explore alternative methods of coping, and to increase sensitivities to client needs. An assessment of the workshop id included.     

Spiritual Health and Outcomes in Muslim ICU Patients: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of the present study is to describe how religiosity and spirituality affect the psychiatric morbidity of Muslim intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We conducted a prospective nationwide cross-sectional study of ICU patients discharged from 45 medical centers spanning 31 proivinces in Iran. Adults (age ≥ 18 years) admitted to the ICU and treated with invasive mechanical ventilation were eligible. Nine validated survey tools were administered to detect direct and indirect associations between spiritual health (SH) and depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorder. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R), Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome 14 question (PTSS-14) quality-of-life (QoL), and quality of patient to physician or nurse communication (PP-QoC and PN-QoC) scales were modeled through two mediators by structural equation modeling (SEM). Sex, ICU type, LOS, and APACHE II score were added in the independent variable list. 338 eligible patients were discharged from the ICUs during the study period. 56 were excluded (clinical status), and 282 were administered the survey. 278 returned it, with 272 complete and 6 partial responses. SH displayed no direct or indirect association to QoL. SH was indirectly associated with decreased depression and anxiety (B = ? 0.081, p < 0.05) via PP-QoC mediator. Both direct and indirect positive associations were observed between SH and IES-R (B = 0.293, p < 0.05; via PP-QoC) and PTSS-14 scores (B = 0.267, p < 0.001; via PP-QoC). Medical ICU location was associated with decreased PTSS-14 scores via the same mediator. In this survey of Muslim ICU patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation, SH correlated with decreased depression and anxiety, but paradoxically increased post-traumatic stress. The most influential mediator was patient–physician quality-of-communication.