N320: Foundations Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education of Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, and Whitworth College, and College of Nursing, Washington State University |
Spiritual Health
Mosque, Lankawi Island, Malaysia
photo copyright carol b. allen
Study/Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss the concept of hope. What are the common elements of hope? What is the
nurse's role in nurturing and maintaining hope?
2. Define spiritual health. Identify the defining criteria for the diagnosis: Spiritual
well-being, potential for enhanced. Describe the signs and symptoms of spiritual distress.
Describe some ways that illness affects spirituality and that spirituality affects
illness.
3. Discuss the application of the concepts of communication, caring and compassion in
helping clients attain and maintain spiritual health.
4. Describe concrete actions you might take to implement interventions that establish
presence, support healing, use the client's support system, support rituals that are
important for the client and address spiritually based dietary practices.
5. Discuss the use of prayer as a nursing intervention. Describe research that supports
this intervention.
Faith and Practices Site:
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion/Faiths_and_Practices
Additional Resources:
Byrd, R. (1988). Postive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a Coronary Care
Unit population.
Southern Medical Journal 81(7), 826-29.
Dossey, L. (1996). Prayer is good medicine. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins.
Dossey, L. (1993). Healing words. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins.