Dr Fiona Timmins of TCD – today’s nurse may be ill-equipped to deal with a patient’s spiritual need
A report in yesterday’s Irish Independent stated:
Looking after the spiritual and religious needs of patients in Irish acute hospitals is no longer as simple as in the past.
Changing Ireland has meant few, if any, nuns are on the wards. Yet it remains the case that illness continues to draw people closer to their faith or spirituality.
But how well trained are nurses and the health staff whom the sick see most to deal with these needs?
Dr Fiona Timmins of Trinity College in Dublin, who set out to examine this area, pointed to the decline in religious observance in modern Ireland and also the fact that there is now a greater mix of patients with different faiths in hospital
.
She said today’s nurse may be ill-equipped to deal with a patient’s spiritual needs.
“These are delegated often to a particular specialist within the hospital setting such as the hospital chaplain, rather than the nurse, recognising the valuable role they may have to in the patient’s spiritual care.”
Fiona questioned over 500 nurses to examine their attitudes to spirituality within an acute hospital and 26pc responded.
The findings showed that in keeping with other studies nurses had “positive views” about their role in supporting the spiritual care of patients.
“Nursing actions such as showing concern and kindness and giving time to both patient and family, while perhaps generic functions, are used and understood within the context of spiritual care.”
She said nurses did not see that a person needed to have a religious belief in order to be spiritual.
“Although the majority of nurses felt able to provide responsive spiritual care, it is of concern that much of this was based on the nurses’ own personal experience.
“The majority of the nurses had not received training or instruction on this topic since their initial nurse preparation,” she revealed.
The study emphasised that all hospital staff need to develop an awareness of patients’ spiritual needs and education in this area is urgently required for nurses.
This has long been a issue highlighted by the Irish Hospice Foundation. Spokesman Paul Murray said looking after the religious and spiritual needs of patients “is part of all-embracing holistic care”.
He said that during the Forum on End of Life in Ireland, which gathered the views of thousands of people, the Irish Hospice Foundation was made fully aware of its priority.
“While many people have specific religious needs, others often have a spiritual sense which should be accommodated.
“In our Final Journeys course run by the Hospice Friendly Hospitals programme we state that religious and spiritual needs are a vital part of holistic care.”