Nursing the spirit
Are you meeting your patients spiritual needs? We are all spiritual beings. Why is it that we are intimidated by the renewed emphasis on meeting our patients' spiritual needs?
Here are some possible reasons:
- We may have been taught that spiritual things are a private matter, or a matter to be discussed openly only in a place of worship.
- We may be afraid our own spiritual values will be challenged.
- Perhaps we have never come to grips with spiritual values in our own life.
Maybe we have explored various religions, but none of them seem to provide real answers for real situations.
Often because of our traditions or family loyalty, we feel we must be loyal to a religion that is sacred yet hollow for us when we face real needs in a real world. Yet if our religion is not meeting our own deepest needs, it may be time for us to re-evaluate our own spirituality.
I have found that God can be real and personal, and that He does have real answers for real situations. His answers make sense.
Only as we meet the needs of our own spirituality can we begin to help our patients in their spiritual needs. Do you want to fill that spiritual vacuum within your own heart? Do you long for a spiritual experience that makes sense and provides real answers?
If so, stop and read Knowing God in our "On Patches and Bears" website now.
Other areas you may want to explore are:
Remember that our patients' family members also have spiritual and emotional needs. In situations involving an unconscious patient, a dying patient, or an infant, the family may be the main recipients of our spiritual care.
To read a story about one of my own experiences in reaching out to meet the spiritual needs of a patient's family member, see You could give me a hug.