Challenges and Opportunities in Integrating Spirituality into Clinical Practice
Integrating spirituality into clinical practice poses various challenges and opportunities. The standards are crucial, although there is confusion between spirituality and religion. Developing empathy, self-awareness, and therapeutic relationships with patients is essential. Time pressures, prejudice, and technical demands also hinder the process of incorporating spirituality. However, there is a chance to extend oneself and connect with others on a deeper level, transforming relationships and enhancing professional accountability.
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Presentation Transcript
SPIRITUALITY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP RESPONSES Dr Melanie Rogers
WHAT IS THE SSIG: Meet bi-monthly to look at education, research and clinical application of Spirituality Has run for 15 years Provided spirituality study days Spirituality teaching across school for pre and post registration, all disciplines Has run a post reg module on spirituality in clinical practice Has run 2 spirituality conferences and 1 research symposium 6 PhD completions
RESPONDENTS TO TEMPLATE: Nurse Practitioner/Educator Social Worker Psychiatrist Psychotherapist Nurse Researcher Practice Educator Chaplain Nurse Lecturer
PREAMBLE: Both appropriate Preamble comprehensive, achievable and realistic Well constructed and clear, standards comprehensive but will be difficult to achieve in practice Achievable and realistic but slightly vague 2 very impt in helping patients deal with existential issues Preamble needs editing competency and discussion and agreement Spirituality statement doesn t make sense Competency statement needs to be in same tense Very clear Good but include reference to ontological issues of becoming and being a nurse 9 standards may be too many
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Spirituality often conflated with religion Different ways to integrate into practice How to talk about spirituality Standards are critical for good practice Lack of previous reference points re spirituality Chance to extend self to relate and connect with others Great diversity and awareness needs time Ontological transformation possible How to inform pre reg educators about the meaning Developing empathy and emotional resilience to actualise professional accountability Not easy to measure competencies Stablishing therapeutic relationships with patients Chance to develop I/Thou relationships (Buber) How to develop self awareness Time pressures, technical demands Fragmented patterns of working Prejudice and misunderstanding that sp is inappropriate Confusion re sp and religion
RESOURCES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE COMPETENCIES Use of personal experiences Support for educators for how to assess and what if student doesn t meet competencies Experiential groups Mix of academic and experiential teaching Guest speakers Using service users and patients to speak of their experiences Openness and Creativity Good communicators from faith traditions Reflective practice and self awareness tools Training around standards, how to implement Time and Emphasis on interpersonal aspects of teaching and nursing Link to local, national and international organisations Small group work Link to professional competent in spiritual care Mentorship
HOW DO YOU FEEL COMPETENCIES WILL BE RECEIVED Cynical parts says oh no Pragmatic part says it round up practice and education nicely We are enabling students to discuss core human issues and big questions There will be an acknowledgment of potential benefits perhaps with feeling of confidence about listening, being available and fostering caring relationship May be concern about not being trained. Collaboration vital Some will struggle with concept but links well to current nursing competencies Some pockets of initial resistance and scepticism but should be high level of support May feel challenged due to cultural diversity, clinical priorities and time management. If presented badly another burden, if well then welcome opportunity to develop neglected person centred care
WHAT RESOURCES MIGHT EDUCATORS NEED Support, encouragement and supervision Education in an overview of diverse cultural and religious views including life/death issues Awareness of others roles re spiritual care Availability of resources to help people respond to spiritual care issues Guest speakers and practitioners who implement the standards in practice Train educators Training on existential therapy, logotherapy, phenomenology and anthropology Education on spiritually competent practice (Wattis, Curran and Rogers)
FINAL COMMENTS Competencies are very real- they capture the essence of what is needed and could apply to all healthcare situations I teach social workers and expect these standards to be met by student social workers I am so pleased to see these standards being introduced
