I would describe my spiritual well-being as having peace, meaning, and purpose in my life. I feel that as an active Catholic, my life is here to assist others. As I assist others, my spirit is lifted and I feel good. The strong faith in my life has assisted me to become a better person. I am able to love others fully, even when they are cranky patients. I just put myself in their shoes and think about their situation. As a person, my spirit grows stronger when I pray and offer up my failings. I feel that I can express myself through the use of listening or singing to music, drawing and chalking pictures. These activities help my spiritual wellbeing from becoming distressed. Also, spending time in nature is another spirit up lifter. Whenever I am stressed, by doing some of these simple things in my life, keep me sane and free of spiritual distress. 2. When was a time when someone showed you deep compassion?
One time in my life when someone showed me deep compassion was when I was a young adult. My grandpa Felix passed away when I was about 18 years old. I was very close to my grandpa. I visited him at least weekly. He was a healthy 97 year old man except for his Alzheimer’s disease. He lived a good long life and so when he passed away, I was came to terms with it fairly easy. I wrote him a final goodbye …show more content…
letter and placed it in his open casket. At my grandpa’s wake, a few of my aunts and uncles took the letter out of the casket without me knowing and read my very personal goodbye letter. I was shocked at first and then devastated. What they did was an invasion of my private thoughts and personal feelings. But, when I talked to a cousin and her boyfriend about what just happened, they were very compassionate. They could not believe what had just happened and would do anything to assist me feel better. One thing that I remember is that they both sat and listened to me without interruption as I talked. My cousin offered me a Kleenex to wipe my tears away. They offered kind words and even offered to go up to my aunts and uncles and have a little talk. I look back and think about how even as young adults, what good advocates they were for me. They didn’t care what the relatives thought about them. These two cared about my feelings and how I was treated. I think this personal experience has lead me to be a better listener and patient advocate. I always put the patient first. Where I work, the patients come for procedures and infusions. So, these individuals have a lot on their minds. I feel that I am a better nurse when I listen to the patient’s story and needs. I hope to continue to be a good listener and patient advocate as I further my nursing career. 3.
Is religion and/or spirituality important to you? If so, how can you integrate care for the spirit of each patient in your care?
Religion and spirituality are very important to me. This is how I can handle what life throws at me. I strongly believe in God. Through my prayers and special time alone with God, I can cope with issues and challenges in my life. I also attend weekly mass, it is where I let my stress in my life go and feel relaxed. I also love the outdoors. This is another place where I feel free of life worries. If I take a walk through the woods or bike ride on a trail I feel at
peace.
When I care for patients, I think it would be important to ask them how they cope with challenges in their life. Another aspect is what they like to do for hobbies or relaxation. Furthermore, I would find out if they have any restrictions to food or special times of fasting. From their answers, I could be prepared to care for them with body, mind, and spirit. I could offer opportunities to practice their religious rituals. For example, if they were an active catholic, I could offer the patient a rosary, bible, prayer book or special tools they may be interested in them. Furthermore, if the client was interested in daily communion or wanted to chat with a Chaplin, I could arrange for this visit to occur. I could put on the daily mass on T.V. for the person if that is what they wish. If the patient was of a different religious affiliation, I could call someone such as a pastor to find the things the patient may need. Now, if the patient did not want any sort of religious affiliation, I could see what they would be interested in. If the patient found their spirituality in nature, I could put on the Hospital TV or CD that played special nature sounds, or offer magazines or books on nature. If the patient liked music, I could offer them quiet time with the music. They may like to express themselves through drawing, coloring, painting, or playdoh, or clay.