The Importance Of Spirituality In Nursing

A personal philosophy of nursing allows nurses to guide and shape their practice. As Molzahn & Shields states, "we are in the privileged position of working closely with human beings and helping them deal with many aspects of the human condition" (2008, p.25). By working daily with patients who all have distinct and unique healthcare experiences, I believe that it is crucial to have a set of values and ethics that guide how we care for our patients. By holding Christian beliefs and values, I believe that it is important to care for other people the way Jesus cares for us, and to take time to notice the little glimpses of Christ shown in other people. When thinking about how I can have an impact on my patients, I keep in mind that "for most people, most of the time, God comes to us in the valleys and plains of life" (Doornbos, Groenhout, & Hotz, 2005, p.21).

“A philosophy of nursing presents a particular professional nurse’s belief system or worldview of nursing the nurse’s personal definition of nursing” (Kearney-Nunnery, 2012, p. 17). My personal nursing philosophy is one in which the patients overall health, including emotional and spiritual needs are being met. This is done through collaborative care with the patient, physicians and colleagues. The collaboration must obtain effective communication within every interaction. I believe the exchanges between every member must be open and honest, that builds a relationship centered in trust.

I like the way that God convinced her to live her life while worshipping him, showing me you can make time for God every day. Another reason why I chose her is because she is a patron of nurses, which is special to me because my grandma and mom are nurses. Nurses also have to do with healing, and I wanted my saint to be a symbol of healing incurable diseases to show that you can never lose hope and to keep fighting.

For example, although she is consumed with worry and fear over the state of her children, Rowlandson finds immense relief when one of her captors gives her a Bible he took from a neighboring settlement. However, Rowlandson finds greater relief when she “opened [her] Bible to read, and the Lord brought that precious Scripture to [her]” (Rowlandson 264). Rowlandson believes that God is playing an active role in her life through guiding her to scripture in order to bring her relief and comfort during her extended captivity. Additionally, Rowlandson believes God is directly intervening in her daily life by looking out for her and protecting her during her captivity. To explain, while traveling with her captors, Rowlandson is told she must cross a river to escape a search party despite the cold weather; although some members of her company were submerged waist deep into the frigid water, Rowlandson “did not wet [her] foot…which cannot but be acknowledged as a favor of God to [her] weakened body” (Rowlandson 265).

In the past, I have created the habit to ask “What would Jesus do?” or strike up a conversation with god about a difficulty that I have had in life. I pray in church with others and sometimes myself. But rarely do I set aside specific timeframes for private meditation in God’s presence. I have done this in the past and found it highly rewarding but I have since fallen out of the habit due to College’s busy schedule. Nevertheless, I feel that my life would earn a great deal of balance if I began to really sink down into a private prayer life.

In the beginning of the story, Claire’s parents, mostly her mom (Barbara), are stricken with worry when their child leaves to go to Harvard. In this situation, Barbara has “a silent testament to the hour she had spent praying for her daughter. She didn’t know what had happened, but she knew God had heard her prayer” (Feldhahn 32). This prayer creates a peaceful setting over Harvard that releases a heavenly spirit for Claire another example of protection through prayer comes from the students

Larson (1984) defines caring as the core, essence and distinguishing attribute of nursing. I believe that I possess the strength to care for others and behave in a caring manner. In the past I have shown my strength in this area of nursing care when looking after family members that have fallen victim to sickness. Whenever someone tells me that they are not feeling well, I immediately jump into action and try my best to make sure that they feel “cared for” .The feeling of pride and satisfaction I experience after caring for a person that is unwell is what originally made me choose nursing as a career. Caring is a basic attribute of human growth and development (Griffin 1983).

Being able to care for the elderly and bring happiness to their day, brings happiness to my day. The special calling to bring others joy, is extraordinarily rewarding. As a Certified Nursing Assistant you provide in the basic care and safety to patients as well as assist them with activities of daily living. Daily duties are given to CNA’s by the supervising RN, often referred to as Charge Nurse. A few common daily duties of a CNA are: assisting patients with personal hygiene & appearance, meaning providing oral care, bathing and making sure patients are dressed in clean unsoiled

Even though, the patient did not want to have the surgery, it was due to the pressure from her daughter that she wanted to go for it. My goal was to provide compassionate and therapeutic care, looking at the patient holistically, providing comfort to the patient, and analyzing patient response to treatment. Once I recognized that the family needs help in making informed decision, I provided them with resources who can help them, and communicated with our health care provider about the family’s willingness to see palliative care team. The other theoretical frame work used is the comfort theory by Katherine Kolcaba. According to Kolcaba (as cited in currentnursing.com, 2011) describes comfort as existing in three forms: relief, ease and transcendence.

“A thought flashed into my mind: “You could die.” But I pushed any negative vibes away quickly with a prayer. I’m in God’s hands,” I remember thinking, and I forced myself into the here and now and concentrated on holding on” (Hamilton 74). Bethany expresses her faith in God and that He will make it all better. She believed that God would help her get through all of her difficulties even during the tough time she is going through. Along with her belief in God, Bethany had the full support of all her friends and family.