Spiritual Care
Spiritual care could be provided by spiritual care professionals (or designated spiritual providers) as well as by health and wellness care clinicians. This is to say that the provision of spiritual care is not a role strictly reserved for a specific individual. I have been in situations whereby spiritual care is provided by a nurse. In such cases, the nature of spiritual care has largely been dictated by the patient’s specific circumstances with regard to their concerns, queries, and outlook. However, spiritual care on this front has often assumed the dimension of the advancement of emotional as well as moral support.
In essence, the role of the clinician as a spiritual provider largely involves “personal wholeness and integrity, leadership and mentoring” (Craigie, 2010, p 94). These roles are largely supportive of the organizational healing qualities. As a matter of fact, Craigie (2010) is of the opinion that any task undertaken towards this end could be deemed a legitimate portion of the process of spiritual care. In that regard, therefore, such roles as active listening, open mindedness, the promotion of holistic care, etc. are all part and parcel of spiritual care.
We, as health and wellness providers, could provide spiritual care in various formats. To begin with, we could provide spiritual care “by means of our intention and presence” (Craigie, 2010, p. 94). This is to say that we must be available to address the physical as well as emotional needs of patients that are key to the promotion of health and wellbeing. Secondly, we could provide spiritual care “by exploring and energizing patients’ spiritual values and resources” (Craigie, 2010, p. 94). This could be done by, amongst other things, easing patient access to materials and items of spiritual relevance. Lastly, we could provide spiritual care “by nurturing the spiritual healing qualities of healthcare organizations” (Craigie, 2010, p. 94). This is a feat that could be accomplished by way of promoting a holistic approach to health care.
References
Craigie, F. C. (2010). Positive Spirituality in Healthcare: Nine Practical Approaches to Pursuing Wholeness for Clinicians, Patients, and Healthcare Organizations. Minneapolis, MN: Mill City Press.
