[NP-Clinical] Clinical Spirituality- it really is a lot more important than you "believe" !

[Linda Marie De Zago]

Thank you for all of the wonderful evidenced-based information you provided
us with. This is something FAU beats into the heads of all their students
(and then beats some more). It an excellent reinforcement tool for myself. 

Linda

-----Original Message-----
From: np-clinical-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:np-clinical-bounces at nurse.net]
On Behalf Of np at c-zone.net
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 1:53 AM
To: NP Clinical
Subject: Re: [NP-Clinical] Clinical Spirituality- it really is a lot more
important than you "believe" ! 

The spiritual needs and orientation of patients' is very much an important
issue of provider-patient dynamics. To ignore what motivates a patient to
respect and follow your guidance for health care is neglectful. Whether
the clinician has a spiritual side or not, doesn't it still make sense to
respect that part of the patient as a component of their psychological
wellbeing?  If spirituality is "the opiate of the people" could a
clinician keep it in the drug samples drawer, to be dispensed when
requested/needed?

Take a look at:

J Fam Pract. 2002 Mar;51(3):249-54. Links
What do family physicians think about spirituality in clinical
practice?Ellis MR, Campbell JD, Detwiler-Breidenbach A, Hubbard DK.
Cox Health Systems, Family Practice Residency Program, Springfield, MO
65802, USA. mellis at coxnet.org

OBJECTIVES: To describe the context in which physicians address patients'
spiritual concerns, including their attitudes toward this task, cues to
discussion, practice patterns, and barriers and facilitators. STUDY
DESIGN: This was a qualitative study using semistructured interviews of 13
family physicians. POPULATION: We selected board-certified Missouri family
physicians in a nonrandom fashion to represent a range of demographic
factors (age, sex, religious background), practice types
(academic/community practice; urban/rural), and opinions and practice
regarding physicians' roles in addressing patients' spiritual issues.
OUTCOMES MEASURED: We coded and evaluated transcribed interviews for
themes. RESULTS: Physicians who reported regularly addressing spiritual
issues do so because of the primacy of spirituality in their lives and
because of the scientific evidence associating spirituality with health.
Respondents noted that patients' spiritual questions arise from their
unique responses to chronic illness, terminal illness, and life stressors.
Physicians reported varying approaches to spiritual assessment; affirmed
that spiritual discussions should be approached with sensitivity and
integrity; and reported physician, patient, mutual physician-patient, and
situational barriers. Facilitators of spiritual discussions included
physicians' modeling a life that includes a spiritual focus. CONCLUSIONS:
These physicians differ in their comfort and practice of addressing
spiritual issues with patients but affirm a role for family physicians in
responding to patients' spiritual concerns. Factors that form a context
for discussions of spiritual issues with patients include perceived
barriers, physicians' role definition, familiarity with factors likely to
prompt spiritual questions, and recognition of principles guiding
spiritual discussions.

PMID: 11978236 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

    - - - AND - - -  also see....

 Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2004 Jan;13(1):71-84.Links
Formulation and treatment: integrating religion and spirituality in
clinical practice.Josephson AM.
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine,
Louisville, KY 40292, USA. Allan.josephson at louisville.edu

Developing scientifically sound and clinically meaningful case
formulations is so challenging that it may verge on becoming a "lost art."
Pressures (scientific, economic, and cultural) remain that prevent child
and adolescent psychiatrists from getting a complete understanding of the
patient and family. Including a strong consideration of data related to
religion, spirituality, and worldview may seem only to complicate an
already arduous task. The clinician who includes these factors in
treatment is faced with decisions of when to discuss these issues, how to
discuss them and in what depth, and finally, when to refer to a
religious/spiritual professional. Nonetheless, the importance of these
factors in the lives of many children and families leaves no option but to
address them as directly as possible. It is well worth the effort and, in
many cases, will open new areas for clinical improvement in patients.

PMID: 14723301 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


> This is not clinical content!  Send to NP-Info
> Ted Scott, NP-C


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