Assessment of Spiritual Needs in Rehabilitation Nursing
Presented by Gail Sims
Non-Financial: Gail Sims is a member of the Association of Rehabilitation Nursing and has no competing non-financial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) mandates nurse educators to teach students to assess, screen and address spiritual needs of patients. Spiritual assessment tools have been created to prompt nurses to ask questions relative to this important aspect of care, but how do we actually translate these instruments into clinical practice in the rehabilitation setting? What clues guide nurses toward discovering the deeper meaning or purpose, existence and connection to others known as sacred space? This course will reveal strategies for the integration of spirituality into patient care. As part of an interdisciplinary team approach, the rehabilitation nurse will gain practical methods for active listening, appropriate referral, documentation of spiritual care, and offering support in a culturally sensitive manner in order to improve patient outcomes and the entire care experience.
Meet your instructor
Gail Sims
Gail Sims serves as a Patient Care Coordinator at Kaiser Permanente in Roseville, CA. She served as the Director of Nursing at Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo, CA for 8 years. She has also been a nurse surveyor for the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities for the past 11 years.…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Understanding the Difference between Religion and Spirituality
In the first chapter of this course, clear evidence for the need to use self-exploration in discovering one’s own definition of both religion and spirituality is discussed. Examples from clinical practice will demonstrate the difference between religious and spiritual beliefs held by patients in the rehabilitation setting.
2. Revealing Barriers to Assessing Spiritual Needs
In the second chapter, three common barriers will be discussed which limit the extent of exploration of a patient’s spiritual needs as they travel through their own journey of rehabilitation. Common themes from the literature that limit the nurse’s ability to thoroughly and effectively assess spiritual needs of patients are explained.
3. Tools for Engagement
This chapter will describe four spiritual assessment tools (FICA, FAITH, SPIRIT and HOPE), as well as methods for effective use. Essential spiritual assessment techniques in the rehabilitation setting are discussed. By utilizing at least one of these instruments, the nurse will increase skills in assessing spiritual strengths in order to promote healing.
4. The Invitation to Stand in the Fire
The final chapter includes a call to action for rehabilitation nurses to apply the definition of spiritual care to a practical approach to patient/family/caregiver assessment. By identifying and removing common barriers, the rehabilitation nurse will be able to incorporate spiritual assessment tools to support healing and the restoration of well-being. As a result of completing this course, the rehabilitation nurse will gain spiritual awareness, increase confidence in conducting spiritual assessment, and improve competence in incorporating relevant spiritual care into practice.
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