Spiritual Needs, Spiritual
Caring, and Religious Differences
Chapter 11
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Learning Objectives
Lesson 11.1: Spiritual Needs and Caring
(Slide 1 of 2)
1. Differentiate between spirituality and religion.
2. Identify the difference between the spiritual
and emotional dimensions of individuals.
3. Discuss the role of the licensed practical
nurse/licensed vocational nurse (LPN/LVN) in
providing spiritual care to the client and the
family as a member of the health care team.
4. List members of the health care team who
can help provide spiritual care for clients.
5. Discuss key nursing interventions to meet the
spiritual needs of clients.
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Learning Objectives
Lesson 11.1: Spiritual Needs and Caring
(Slide 2 of 2)
6. Discuss personal religious and/or spiritual
beliefs, or the absence of them, and how
these beliefs will influence nursing practice.
7. Discuss the general beliefs and practices that
account for the differences among various
Western, Middle Eastern, and Eastern
religions, philosophies, and groups in the
United States and Canada.
8. Describe nursing interventions/considerations
of clients of various religions, philosophies,
and groups.
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Spirituality and Religion
Spirit
Essence of a person
Religion
Spiritual experience that contains specific beliefs
and rituals
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Spiritual versus Emotional Dimension
Spiritual dimension
Relationship of an individual to a higher power
Emotional needs
How people respond and deal with feelings of joy,
anger, sorrow, guilt, remorse, and love
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Importance of Spiritual Care
Inner strength
Self-awareness
Life’s meaning and purpose
Relationship to others
Relationship to a higher power
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Who Needs Spiritual Care?
Those in the following client situations:
Hospitalization
Clients who are in pain
Clients who have a chronic or incurable disease
Clients who are dying
Families who have experienced the death of a
loved one
Clients who are facing an undesirable outcome of
illness, such as an amputation
Clients who have emotionally lost control of
themselves
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Gathering Data for Spiritual Issues
How do you cope? Do you believe in the
Who is your source of power of prayer?
support? What are your beliefs
Who are the significant about a higher power?
people in your life? Do you have a relationship
With whom do you laugh? to a higher power?
Do you feel loved? Do you have a religious
Do you have someone affiliation? If so, how do
with whom to cry? your religious beliefs affect
What gives your life your spirit?
meaning? What is your philosophy
What brings joy to your about life and death?
life?
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Meeting the Spiritual Needs of
Clients and Their Families
Ask questions to help clients and families
verbalize beliefs, fears, and concerns
Listen with an understanding attitude
Respond as naturally to spiritual concerns as
you do to physical needs
Help clients face the reality of a terminal
illness without abandoning hope
Encourage the client’s active involvement in
self-care, which can help uphold hope
Allow families to participate in caregiving
Avoid false assurances
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Pastoral Care Team
Includes ministers, priests, rabbis, consecrated
religious women, representatives of other
religious organizations, and laypersons
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How Clients Meet Spiritual Needs
Clients’ spiritual practices
All clients have a spiritual self
Religion and the client
Religious denomination
Agnostics
Atheists
Value of rituals and practices
Value of clients’ rituals and religious practices is
determined by their faith
The client and prayer
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The Religious American
Examples of religions
Hindu, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, Lutheran (Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, Wisconsin Synod,
Missouri Synod, and English Synod), Catholic (Roman
Rite, Eastern Rite as Ukrainian Catholic, and Greek
Catholic), Eastern Orthodox (Russian Orthodox and
Greek Orthodox), Quaker, Presbyterian, Methodist,
Church of Christ, Mennonite, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Assembly of God, Mormon, Baptist (Independent and
Southern Baptist Convention), Wiccan, Jehovah’s
Witness, Episcopalian, African Methodist Episcopalian,
Christian Science, United Church of Christ, Moravian,
Evangelical, Salvation Army, and nondenominational
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Western and Middle Eastern Religions
in the United States and Canada
Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Reform Judaism
Christianity
Catholicism
Protestantism
Islam
Shi’ite
Sunnah
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Eastern Religions and Philosophies
In the United States and Canada
Hinduism
Vast body of scriptures
Believe in reincarnation
No common creed or doctrine
Buddhism
Truth of suffering
Truth of the cause of suffering
Truth of the end of suffering
Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering
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Nursing Interventions/Considerations
Avoid stereotyping
Consider all clients the same
Be aware of and sensitive to all beliefs,
practices, and nursing interventions for all
religions, philosophies, and groups
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Questions?
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