Foundations of Professional Nursing

Flashcards about Caring and Spirituality in Nursing

Compassion

Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

Common themes in caring theories

Human interaction, appreciating the uniqueness of individuals, improving patient welfare, and mutuality.

Ethic of Care

Putting caring at the center of decisions, noting the uniqueness of the person and the situation while advocating for the most ethically appropriate course of action.

Providing Presence

The nurse is there at the bedside, person to person, in a caring manner; being attentive, sensitive while communicating and listening.

Touch demonstration of caring

Actual physical touch and eye contact.

Knowing (in nursing)

Forming a caring relationship and demonstrating competency in care.

Relieving pain and suffering

Attending to a patient’s position, helping maintain their hygiene and dignity, treating them respectfully and nonjudgmentally.

Family Care (nursing)

Helping them understand the situation-what to expect and what they can do! Involve them in the care

Spirit

Whatever is at the center of all aspects of a person’s life.

Self-transcendence

Sense of authentically connecting to one’s inner self; a positive force that allows new experiences and perspectives.

Connectedness

Being intrapersonally connected within oneself; interpersonally connected with others and the environment; and transpersonally connected with God, or an unseen higher power.

Faith

Ability to have firm beliefs despite the lack of physical evidence; enables people to believe in and establish transpersonal connections.

Hope

An energizing source that has an orientation to future goals and outcomes.

Inner Strength (spirituality)

A dynamic and creative sense of inner strength to be used when making difficult decisions.

Religious care

Helping patients maintain faithfulness to their belief system and worship practices.

Spiritual care

Helping people identify meaning and purpose in life, look beyond the present, and maintain personal relations as well as a relationship with a higher being or life force.

Spiritual distress

Impaired ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life through connectedness with self, others, art, music, literature, nature, and/or a power greater than oneself.

Spiritual Assessment

Expresses a level of caring and support; reveals patient’s beliefs about life, health, and a Supreme Being.

FICA (spiritual assessment tool)

Faith or belief, Importance and Influence, Community, Address.

The Joint Commission (TJC) on Spiritual Care

Requires health organizations to provide for pastoral care; requires health care organizations to assess patients’ denomination, beliefs, and spiritual practices and acknowledge their rights to spiritual care.