Category: Spirituality

Title

The title of this study, “Exploration of Clinical Nurses’ Perception of Spirituality and Spiritual Care,” clearly identifies the general idea under investigation. Although the authors gave their study a short title of just ten words, readers can easily tell what the study entails. The title also gives information identifying the qualifications of the authors of this study. The information given in the title identifies Wu Li-Fen as a Registered Nurse (RN), a PhD holder and an Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing; National Taichung Nursing College. On the other hand, the information provided recognizes Lih-Ying Li as a Registered Nurse (RN) who holds a Masters degree in Nursing and a director of the Department of Nursing at Taichung Veterans General Hospital.

Abstract

The abstract of this study gives the readers a clear and concise summery of the study. The abstract gives the background information, purpose of study, methods used, results and the conclusion/implications of the study. The abstract illustrates to the readers the need for this study, the problem statement, the research design, an overview of the results and the implications of the study. The abstract also included key words which can be essential for others who need to find more about the research through computerized search

Problem

The study does not clearly indicate the problem statement. The problem statement is however implied. The authors clearly indicate the purpose of their research, “to investigate the role played by demographic characteristics of nurses in determining perception differences of spirituality and spiritual care” (Wu & Lin, 2011).The significance of the purpose of the study can be traced from the background information. The researchers reaffirm Nightingale’s point of view. They agree with her idea that the patients’ health can be enhanced if nurses realize the psychological and spiritual needs of their patients. It also acknowledges the contribution of Chan’s study (2010) that seconds Nightingale’s call. The authors also indicate the significance of their study by showing concern regarding the limited number of studies conducted on this topic so far. The project appears to be significant because it aimed at revealing the perception of nurses’ on spiritual matters; and the significance of this issue in relation to their nursing profession. The project does not appear feasible because of the limitations inherent in the study. The authors however affirm their topic is researchable by citing several other studies.

Literature Review and Theoretical framework

The literature provided by the authors relied on both ancient and current sources Most of the references were secondary sources. The references are pertinent and representative of the issues under investigation. The authors utilized theoretical framework as a means of revealing to the readers its relation to their study. The literature review enables readers to comprehend the meaning and importance of spirituality. Spirituality refers to “a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, which strives for aspirations, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose even on those who do not believe in uprightness” (as cited in Murray& Zentner, 1989). “Spirituality provides one with a sense meaning and life purpose, which does not depend on beliefs and practices of a given religion” (as cited in Mansfield, Mitchell & King, 2002). According to Wu & Li (2011) their literature review provides instances that associate spiritual care with the quality of interpersonal care.

Research Design Elements

They employed Cross sectional descriptive design that included a survey questionnaire to gather responses from 349 of participants within a specified period.

The research design did not openly state the hypothesis for the study. However, the research designed implied the purpose of the study. The participants’ demographic profiles formed the study’s dependent variables. Only clinical nurses were allowed to take part in the study. Nursing profession was the independent variable.

Study Setting and Instruments

The study took place in a large medical centre in Taiwan. The hospital has approximately 1,500 clinical nurses who come from various backgrounds. This offered perfect opportunity for the researchers to conduct their research. The diversity of this setting reflects the real world situation. They followed a standard procedure outlined as the Chinese version of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS-C)

The researchers sent the participants a letter indicating the need and directions for the study together with the questionnaire. The researchers gave information regarding the validity and reliability used by conducting a pilot study that seconded the efficacy of the instruments. The pilot study revealed that the questionnaires could be filled within 15-20 minute. The research assistant distributed a total of 350 questionnaires. 349 participants returned their dully filled questionnaires (99.71% response rate). “Descriptive statistics provided a description of the participants’ demographic characteristics” (Wu & Li, 2011). The researcher used GPower v3.1 software to analyze f- test. The researchers also used purposive sampling, and randomly selected one working day.

Protection of Human Subjects

The study considered ethical issues and the confidentiality of the participants. The study received the green light to proceed from the hospital’s institutional review board. All participants underwent screening for eligibility and made to realize the importance of the study; and confidentiality of their test data guaranteed. Only one participant failed to return her questionnaire.

Sample

The sample used exactly represented the selected population. The researchers collected data from clinical nurses at the Taiwan medical center. All participants received a questionnaire on which they indicated their demographic profiles. The researchers depended on the participants on duty on a selected day. Out of the 1,500 clinical nurses at the hospital, only 350 of them participated in the research. The sample appeared insignificant to the target population. Since the study occurred in a single hospital, the sample did not represent the target population (Taiwan community). An independent t-test and ANOVA appeared useful in the determination of variations in the nurses’ perceptions of spirituality or provision of spiritual care and nurses’ demographic features” (Wu & Li, 2011).

Replication

The procedure used to collect data appears well defined and can be used to get a replica of the same. The participants filled their demographic profiles on questionnaires supplied to them based on the SSCRS-C scale. Although the study took place in one hospital, similar results can be recorded in other hospitals using the SSCRS-C.

Descriptive

The researchers of the study used demographic characteristics to describe the subjects under study. The nurses recorded their demographic profile on the questionnaire. Their demographic statistics comprised of gender, age, educational level, clinical experience, specialty and religion. “SSCRS-C occurred into four additional subscales: Existential elements (5), Spiritual care (5), Religiosity (5) and personalized care” (Wu & Li, 2011). The demographic profiles enabled the researchers have a clear picture of the participants’ background. The Information appeared useful in the determination of variations in the nurses’ perceptions of spirituality or provision of spiritual care and nurses’ demographic features”

Study Results

The study’s statistical results prove to be significant and reliable. The researchers set a p value of.05 at the beginning of the study. Most of the parameters on the SSCRS-C scale fell within this range. However, a number of them disagreed.

Understanding

The study statistics are clearly reported but difficult to comprehend. The SSCRS-C scale produced a mean of 65.85. Women represented 99.71% (n=348) of the participants while men accounted for only 0.29% (n=1). Participants’’ ages ranged form 23-64 years with a mean age of 37.3 years. Bachelors degree seemed to be the highest education level of the most participants (69.34%, n=242). The clinical experience varied from 1-40 years putting the mean of professional experience at 13.42. The statistics computed do not clearly reflect the clinical significance of the study. Each item on the SSCRS-C scale reveals significant data that contributed to the mean and the conclusion of their study. The nursing profession requires a holistic approach to one’s life. This entails physical, psychological, social and spiritual care. Having a personal, spiritual perspective enables nurses to ensure the acquisition of value and purpose in life by their patients’. This also enables nurses to provide spiritual care to their patients during illness and /or hospitalization (Wu & Li, 2011). Previous studies led to the development of the SSCRS-C scale as a measure of the perception of nurses in regard to spirituality and spiritual care.

Conclusion

The study concluded that education has a substantial influence on the nurses’ perception of these two issues. The study realized that a higher education level or enhanced spiritual care lessons would improve a nurse’s perception. However, their sample failed to encompass the targeted population. Therefore, their conclusion could not be generalized to the targeted population (Taiwan community). These insights encouraged the authors to recommend additional education programs or spiritual care training for nurses so as to enhance their perception of the two issues. Their findings appeared to be in agreement with the previous study.

Limitations

This study had two limitations. First, the study depended mostly on female participants. 348 out 349 participants were female nurses. Thus, the study lacked gender balance. Secondly, the study concentrated on one main hospital in Taiwan. Therefore, the findings could not be generalized to the target population (Taiwan community). However, the findings could be generalized to the Taiwan the Medical center community in which the study occurred. The study does not have other identifiable limitations. The researchers who conducted this study suggested that future studies should ensure gender equality and randomly sample different hospitals.

Confidence

The validity and usability of the study results captures the confidence of the readers. The results from this study appear valid and usable because of the targeted sample setting and the rationale used in data collection. The study found out that nurses’ understanding of the two issues depends on the level of education and spiritual care training. The study’s findings provide a logical correlation between the participants’ level of education and their understanding of spirituality and spiritual care. They found out that the degree of understanding increased with an increase in the educational level. Their correlation depended on the SSCRS-C scale which proves to be a reliable tool of measurement.

Existing Knowledge

The authors of this study compared their findings to the previous findings. Their findings concurred with previous findings that additional education would increase a nurse’s perception of spirituality and spiritual care. However, their findings disagreed with one earlier finding which suggested that religious belief could also influence the nurses’ perception. Their study found no correlation between nurses’ perception and religious affiliations.

Reference

Wu, Li-Fen and Lin, Lih-Ying. (2011). Exploration of Clinical Nurses’ Perception of Spirituality and Spiritual Care. Journal of Nursing Research, 19.4. Web.

Spirituality is a concept that is often related to religious beliefs and practices. It can be considered as the belief in God itself and humans’ connection with God. On the other hand, in a non-religious sense, spirituality is also present. Spirituality accounts for the notion of sacred that transcends religious experience (Hodge, 2018). It can be considered as a broader and more ambiguous definition but continues to refer to the experience or interconnectedness with a higher concept that transcends humanity’s understanding.

Personally, spirituality is a means to cope with the built-up stress and hardships in life. It aids in attaining a clear mind and focus on continuing with the daily routine, much like meditation practices and breathing exercises. Concerning patient-centered care, spirituality helps to improve the quality of life among patients with little to no hope for health improvement. Spiritual care elevates the patient’s worries about possible hardships. It is essential to be prepared for the differences between care givers and the patient in terms of spirituality and culture (Vincensi, 2019). Nourishment of the patient’s spiritual self-awareness is essential for the establishment of spirituality as his or her inner resource for health (Vincensi, 2019). This in return may lead to the solid trust of the patient.

In order to provide nursing care to a person of non-religious belief, it might be possible to refer to a human’s natural way of searching for a meaning of life. In other words, patients might be struggling with the worries of being remembered either through their deeds or family members. Therefore, care providers should create a safe environment and opportunities for the patient to stay connected with their offspring and relatives at the time of death and ways to remember them.

On the other hand, for the person with the religious belief, the same act of experiencing spirituality can be applicable coupled with the addressing to the positive interpretation of death as part of life addressed in their religious practices. Perhaps it might be essential to provide an environment with the ability for the patient to conduct their practices such as prayers. In addition, the ability to read the religious texts such as the Quran or Bible will allow the patient to find comfort and peace of mind and soul.

References

Vincensi, B. B. (2019). Interconnections: Spirituality, spiritual care, and patient-centered care. Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing, 6(2), 104.

Hodge, D. R. (2018). The evolution of spirituality and religion in international social work discourse: Strengths and limitations of the contemporary understanding. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 37(1), 3-23.

Spirituality in the traditional sense and spirituality in the religious sense represent different concepts. While they both represent the notion of a world beyond human understanding, they differ in their explanations of what lies beyond the physical world. For a non-religious individual, spirituality is the belief in a force that controls events and processes in the physical world. For a religious individual, spirituality is the belief in an almighty, all-powerful, and all-seeing God. In essence, the belief in God’s existence differentiates spirituality between religious and non-religious people.

Asking questions related to spirituality in a healthcare setting is not a standard practice. This is because there is no scientific evidence of the medical significance of such questions. With that being said, I would be comfortable asking patients information about their spirituality. Despite its lack of any medical benefit, such information can help me offer culturally competent healthcare to my patients, capable of improving patient care and outcomes(Rachel et al., 2019).

The existence of people with varying religious and spiritual beliefs complicates the design of culturally competent healthcare systems. Culturally competent healthcare is one where the healthcare provider takes into account the patients’ social, religious, and spiritual beliefs when offering healthcare services (Rachel et al., 2019). When offering healthcare services to patients with different belief systems than mine, it is imperative to accommodate their beliefs. A failure to do so could lead to poor services or the patients being dissatisfied with the care offered. For example, nurses can provide spiritual care to a religiously spiritual patient by arranging a visit to the hospital of the patient’s spiritual leader if a patient or their relatives request such a visit. Another example of a nurse offering care to a spiritual patient but one who is not religious by allowing them to express their spirituality.

References

Rachel, H., Chiara, C., Robert, K., & Francesco, S. (2019). Spiritual care in nursing: an overview of the measures used to assess spiritual care providers and related factors amongst nurses.Journal of the Society of Medicine and Natural Sciences, 90, 1–18. Web.

Introduction

Spiritual care is a practice of aiding people in the recognition and acceptance of spirituality and addressing the questions of one’s meaning in life, legacy, purpose, hope, and faith. The role of spiritual care in nursing is both recognized and undermined. There is certain skepticism in the discussion of the effectiveness of spirituality. However, the research in nursing practices for cancer patients suggests that the efficacy of spiritual care is significant. The five research papers exploring spiritual care’s effects on patients with cancer suggests a positive effect on patients without marginal difference in age and gender. In this paper, five peer-reviewed journal articles would review to demonstrate the effectiveness of spiritual care and indicate the methodology explored to highlight the significance of spirituality in nursing practices.

Research

Joo and Kim 2020

The research by Joo and Kim (2020) focused on the spiritual care analysis among elderly patients hospitalized with cancer. The participants were 50 people whose ages exceeded 65 years (Joo and Kim, 2020). They were divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. The first group received spiritual care for half an hour three times over three days. The individuals were interviewed before and after the experiment to analyze the changes in spiritual well-being (Joo and Kim, 2020). Before the experiment, each group indicated similar general and disease-related characteristics, anxiety, and spiritual health conditions. After the experiment, the test group indicated a significant increase in spiritual well-being and a decrease in anxiety in contrast to the control group (Joo and Kim, 2020).

Torabi et al., 2018

According to Torabi et al. (2018), spiritual care among adolescents is effective. The research followed a single-group, quasi-experimental, pre-/poststudy design with 32 adolescent participants. Torabi et al. (2018) argue that spiritual health is significantly different before and after the intervention. However, the follow-up condition of the patients suggests no marginal difference in well-being, indicating the need for continuity of care practices.

Sajadi et al., 2018

The article by Sajadi et al. (2018) analyzed the effect of spiritual counseling on Iranian female cancer patients. The methodology utilized for the research explores the difference between two groups consisting of 42 women with and without an 8-week counseling intervention. The results were collected using Paloutzian and Ellison’s Spiritual Well-Being Scale (Joo and Kim, 2020). Consequently, the participants illustrate significant improvements in the spiritual well-being of the experimental group.

Moosavi et al. 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of spiritual care on cancer patients and oncology nurses. The research collected data from the viewpoints of the patients, their families, the nurses, and other healthcare team members. In 2016–2017, the current qualitative investigation was carried out utilizing traditional content analysis (Moosavi et al., 2019). The 18 participants were subjected to semi-structured in-depth interviews where the data were gathered (Moosavi et al., 2019). One typical outcome of spiritual care was the patient and the nurse finding peace (Moosavi et al., 2019). It enables the nurse to finally feel inner pleasure while helping the patient feel at ease and peace.

Seo et al., 2019

Understanding the nature and significance of the experience of cancer patients receiving spiritual nursing was the aim of this study. From April to June 2019, participants were interviewed in-depth one-on-one (Seo et al., 2019). This research involved eight patients from a single Christian hospital. The Collaizzi phenomenological approach was used to gather and analyze cyclical data (Seo et al., 2019). Four themes emerged from the experiences of cancer patients who received spiritual care: odd spiritual care in the face of longing; feeling of surprising changes; spiritual compassion leading to trust; and transition to spiritual healing (Seo et al., 2019).

Analysis

Each of the five chosen articles suggests that spiritual care’s effectiveness in improving well-being and reducing anxiety is eminent. The research by Joo and Kim (2020), Torabi et al. (2018), Sajadi et al. (2018), and Moosavi (2019) utilized a similar approach where an experimental group with the spiritual intervention was compared to the control group. The difference lies in the number of participants, data collection method, location, age, and gender. Seo et al. (2019) focused on the qualitative assessment of the participants’ condition via interviews to which the researchers observed four critical responses. Nevertheless, they were mostly positive about the improvement of spiritual well-being.

Conclusion

In conclusion, spiritual care among cancer patients is an essential tool for improving the quality of life-related to spiritual health. This suggests the significance and effectiveness of spiritual practices on critical patients. Simultaneously, removing doubt is often considered among people who skeptically view such practices. Perhaps, recommendations could be made for the introduction of awareness increase as the spiritual condition is closely associated with the mental health of the patients and may have a detrimental effect on the effectiveness of the treatments.

Reflection

In this assignment, I learned the significant effectiveness of spiritual care, which addressed my doubts about the procedure. At the same time, I familiarized myself with the methodology often utilized in exploring nursing care techniques. This assignment prompted me to evaluate necessary information from texts and elicit significant details. I now consider spiritual care a significant part of my nursing practice and would like to incorporate it in each applicable instance. I experienced an ‘a-ha” moment after finding the similarity of the research results despite the cultural differences in the experiment locations. However, I think a stronger connection between the cultural differences in spiritual care needs to be addressed.

References

Joo, Y. S., & Kim, H. (2020). Effects of spiritual nursing intervention on spiritual well-being and anxiety in elders with cancer.Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing, 22(2), 95–104.

Moosavi, S., Rohani, C., Borhani, F., & Akbari, M. E. (2019). Consequences of spiritual care for cancer patients and oncology nurses: A qualitative study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 6(2), 137–144. Web.

Sajadi, M., Niazi, N., Khosravi, S., Yaghobi, A., Rezaei, M., & Koenig, H. G. (2018). Effect of spiritual counseling on spiritual well-being in Iranian women with cancer: A randomized clinical trial.Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 30, 79–84.

Seo, E. Y., Kwon, S., Kim, Y., & Han, A. L. (2019). Experience of cancer patients receiving spiritual nursing care in one Christian General Hospital. Asian Oncology Nursing, 19(3), 179.

Torabi, F., Rassouli, M., Nourian, M., Borumandnia, N., Shirinabadi Farahani, A., & Nikseresht, F. (2018). The effect of spiritual care on adolescents coping with cancer.Holistic Nursing Practice, 32(3), 149–159.

The paradigm of medical care, similar to any other professional endeavor that requires close interpersonal communication, is replete with ethical dilemmas and challenges. One of such challenges includes a sensitive matter of spirituality and one’s beliefs. When speaking of experience in facilitating spirituality, one of my strengths includes open-mindedness, as I can listen to others without imposing judgment or ignorance. Sometimes, however, I find it rather difficult to fully engage with the patient’s spiritual practices, creating a communication gap based on our different beliefs. According to Grand Canyon University (2020), nurses’ religious and spiritual preferences shall never be prioritized when interacting with the patient. For this reason, it would be imperative for me to find the ways of facilitating spiritual care will include not only tolerance and acceptance but empathy and meaningful connection with a patient.

I also consider my ability to respect the patient’s wishes despite having a different point of view an asset in terms of providing holistic care. Indeed, if I were a patient, I would consider myself as a primary decision-maker in the context of treatment and rehabilitation. If the situation was difficult and I were physically incapable of voicing my concerns, I would rather confide the decision-making process to the medical professionals. Family and friends might be too emotionally invested and thus, make choices that would prevent them from losing me. For my part, I prefer timely death to a seemingly never-ending struggle, and I believe clinicians to be more impartial when making a difficult decision.

This course has, by all means, become a revelation for me even though the majority of the information should not have been new to a nurse. Some of the greatest insights taken from this class include but are not limited to:

• The need to put more effort in recognition of the patient’s spiritual values and beliefs in terms of treatment;
• The scope of diversity hidden behind the people’s definition of life and death, which should be addressed and respected during the treatment;
• The need to shift the focus from solely professional routine towards perceiving a patient’s life as a phenomenon beyond physical well-being and medical history.

Hence, the valuable lessons taken from this class have not so much changed but reinvented how I perceive care and health. I hope I will be able to put into practice all the takeaways from this course.

Reference

Grand Canyon University. (2020). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in health care[E-book].

Introduction

Reflection is one of the most effective ways to understand oneself and set some goals, as well as evaluate existing standards. The exploration of one’s worldview is essential for a healthcare professional who should ensure the provision of high-quality care to patients. It is essential to have a clear understanding of what health is and how to address issues that may arise. Research suggests that up to 95% of American nurses have a postmodern perspective of human, health, and disease (Newbanks, Rieg, & Schaefer, 2017). I am one of these practitioners, and I also believe that the source of caring, as well as healing, is within a person. This paper includes a reflection regarding my postmodern worldview and the ethical standards that guide me in my personal and professional lives.

Christian Spirituality and Postmodern Relativism in Health Care

American health care can now be characterized by the use of a holistic approach as healthcare professionals try to address all patients’ needs, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Spirituality is seen as one of the important components of care since this aspect is closely related to people’s recovery and ability to adjust to new conditions (Puchalski, 2001). Spirituality is often contraposed with postmodern relativism when applied to health care. These two paradigms are rather different, and nurses should be aware of the major premises of both perspectives in order to provide high-quality care.

The Christian view of spirituality is quite well-defined and described in numerous religious texts. Christian spirituality implies the person’s commitment to certain values and a strong belief in being a part of a larger entity (Andrews, Watson, Chen, & Morris, 2016). As far as the Christian perspective within health care is concerned, it is believed that nurses should be compassionate and have to explore patients’ spirituality helping them to cope with their health-related issues (Baldacchino, 2015). Christians seek strength (as well as faith) in their selves, and healing is believed to be a process guided by faith. Importantly, these people’s faith helps them address all the situations as they follow clear standards and laws of morality.

Postmodern relativism, as its name implies, is based on the assumption that there can be nothing definite since everything is relative. The vast majority of Western nurses are affected by this view, so the way they provide care is also influenced by postmodernist values (Andrews et al., 2016). Nurses who share this perspective rely on science and scientific approach, but they also believe that there are forces beyond scientific knowledge. Healing is a product of a combination of procedures and practices that may include science, faith, and spirituality. Interestingly, postmodern people believe that people can heal if they find strength. Of course, this search for a force to cope is facilitated by advanced strategies and technologies.

Scientism and Arguments Against It

As mentioned above, postmodernism is the worldview that is rooted in scientism but is based on different assumptions regarding truth and evidence. Scientism emerged in the 17th century when the so-called Scientific Revolution took place (Burnett, n.d.). People made numerous discoveries that shed light on diverse aspects of the physical world, which shook many religious people’s convictions. Scientists have developed various methods and instruments to explore the world throughout centuries.

One of the primary pillars of scientism is that something that cannot be scientifically and/or empirically explained does not exist. According to this worldview, every assumption has to be supported by strong evidence, which makes this assumption true. Scientists have tried to prove that all phenomena obey natural laws (Burnett, n.d.). At the same time, researchers have also attempted to show that natural laws can be incorporated into the system of the laws of physics.

However, this worldview is characterized by some weaknesses and inconsistencies that are often ignored by scientists. One of the arguments against scientism is its false objectivity (Moreland, 2018). Science is the creation of humans, which makes it subjective as it is based on people’s interpretations and systems. Scientists may have different views on a phenomenon, although they may use similar methods to explore it. Moreover, there are numerous aspects of the physical world that are unexplained, and they still exist and affect people’s lives.

Another important point to make regarding scientism is its focus on humans and human behavior. People need to understand that they are only a part of the system and they are not beyond it. Scientism tends to place the major value on humans and the way they explore and function in the natural world. This view is actually destroying the planet as humans have used its resources without considering any consequences, which has an adverse impact on people’s health.

Personal Perspective and Worldview

Ultimate Reality

Based on the abovementioned, I would admit that I am a postmodern person who understands that relativism is what defines people’s existence in the physical world. My worldview is rooted in a mixture of paradigms and beliefs that existed in previous centuries, including but not confined to scientism and Christian values. I believe in science, but I also believe in the metaphysical world with its complexity. I try to find certain evidence and explanations of phenomena, but I do not feel uncomfortable if some questions are unanswered. I know that some aspects of human existence and the natural world cannot be perceived by our minds characterized by different boundaries. At that, monotheism is rather outdated, in my opinion, so I tend to see ultimate reality as the energy that is one of the most important components of the universe. Ultimate reality is something around us and something within. People cannot perceive it with their minds, but they can feel it in various situations.

Nature of the Universe

Since ultimate reality is energy, the nature of the universe can be defined as energy in its diverse manifestations. One of the major points to make here is that people can hardly understand what the universe is as we have a limited capacity to perceive complex information. The universe is infinite and can take different forms in people’s imagination and beyond that. Different dimensions, time channels, the physical world, people’s brains, and perceptions are all forms of and routes for this energy. My view of the universe is quite important for my further practice as I see healing as the process that can be facilitated by humans. However, the roots of healing are inside of every human as energy can be found in every cell or atom, and it gives life.

Human Being

Since health care is concerned with treating people, every healthcare professional should have a clear perspective regarding the matter. For me, a human being is a species that lives in communities. People’s need to live with other humans is one of the central points to be considered by healthcare professionals. Human beings have various needs, including physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual. It is noteworthy that all these needs are prioritized rather differently as some people may place certain basic needs lower than spiritual ones. For instance, some scientists were ready to die to gain knowledge.

Knowledge

Knowledge is rather an abstract notion that is often viewed differently. My firm belief is that knowledge is, at least, twofold as it is a set of data necessary for survival and gaining pleasure. People accumulate knowledge to be able to survive in the world as they learn how to accommodate their lives to the environment or change it. Knowledge for pleasure is the satisfaction of people’s social needs. Humans need to have social links, and such aspects as culture serve as the necessary glue. People accumulate knowledge regarding cultures, history, and similar areas, to feel connected to others. When it comes to healthcare professionals, knowledge is one of the instruments they use to help others survive and satisfy their needs.

Basis of Ethics

As mentioned above, I am a representative of the postmodern society where people value relativity and search for standards in different spheres. Although I do not attend church very often or celebrate major Christian holidays in the religious sense, my ethical and moral codes are rooted in some major Christian standards. I believe that people should help each other and try to improve the world around them. However, I also believe that people are completely responsible for their actions and the associated consequences. I also think the world is rather just since every human being pays a certain price for all made decisions. Regarding health and illness, diseases are a consequence of some activities (behaviors) of a person and previous generations. Healing is an intrinsic ability of humans if the person finds the resources within their mind and body available but often undiscovered.

The Purpose of My Existence

One of the hardest questions to ask is related to the purpose of people’s existence. I think every person has asked this kind of question at least once in a lifetime. I also doubt that all of these questions were properly answered. I have tried to address this issue for many years. So far, I have a response, but I do not find it completely satisfactory. The purpose of my existence is living, improving this world in different ways, having children, and helping them to be successful. Since I believe that the universe is a combination of different manifestations of energy, I believe that my primary purpose is to use this energy effectively and transform it into other types and manifestations. Professional accomplishments (including social input) and children are the most obvious pass to achieve this goal.

Conclusion

On balance, it is possible to state that my postmodern worldview makes me a compassionate healthcare practitioner who utilizes an evidence-based approach. I know that people have different needs, and their wellness depends on the degree to which these needs are satisfied. As a healthcare professional, I try to help my patients to explore their spirituality and find the strength to cope with their health-related issues. My worldview also helps me handle the complexity of human existence and the peculiarities of nursing practice. It is also noteworthy that this reflection is a helpful instrument in my self-development, and I will definitely explore my perspective regarding various phenomena and concepts.

References

Andrews, B., Watson, P. J., Chen, Z. J., & Morris, R. J. (2016). Postmodernism, positive psychology, and post-traumatic growth within a Christian ideological surround. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(5), 489-500. doi:10.1080/17439760.2016.1228004

Baldacchino, D. (2015). Spiritual care education of health care professionals. Religions, 6(2), 594-613. doi:10.3390/rel6020594

Burnett, T. (n.d.). What is scientism? Web.

Moreland, J. P. (2018). 10 things you should know about scientism. Web.

Newbanks, R. S., Rieg, L. S., & Schaefer, B. (2017). What is caring in nursing? Sorting out humanistic and Christian perspectives. Journal of Christian Nursing, 1, 160-167. doi:10.1097/cnj.0000000000000441

Puchalski, C. M. (2001). The role of spirituality in health care. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 14(4), 352-357.

Introduction

I was one of the students that had the pleasure of attending the spiritual therapy course in the United States. I must say it was a truly revealing experience going through the ins and outs of the course. An individual finds himself opening up to a new horizon with a remarkable feeling of being able to comprehend and express which seemed so distant a while ago.

Main body

Spiritual therapy can be characterized as counseling or an offshoot of psychotherapy which mainly targets moral, spiritual and religious influences on human behavior and health. This brings a resounding sense of inner strength and stability, sometimes making individuals feel at one with all their emotions and desires. It has been seen to be very useful in regards to anxiety attacks and burnouts related to job stress. This serves as an effective alternate to the use of medicine and sessions with psychiatrists.

There is a thin line however between what can be classified as “spiritual therapy” and adherence to religion. The latter is based on adopting some ideology and then living by it. Spiritual approaches however go beyond that and attempt to get direct contact with the sacred and the divine. This is left out of psychiatric application in mainstream therapy which has moved more towards chemical forms of treatment, which is sad given its many advantages and therapeutic success. This approach is financially viable as well. The present trend psychiatry is taking seems to be fuelled a lot by the investments of drug companies which makes the current blend of psychiatrists similar to regular doctors. This medicine based approach is considered a replacement whereas it can hardly match the extended periods of time spent with a patient for counseling.

The ideas behind spiritual therapy was founded on principles acquired from such diverse sources as Hindu and Buddhist yoga, elements of Sufism and even large parts of Zen Buddhism. Being considered one of the most effective ways of treating chronic disorders, this form of “Transcendental psychology” has also made huge leaps in curing depression and other psychosomatic disorders. Part of the success of this form of therapy has been going beyond the chemical approach to the brain and considering the individual characteristics such as need for growth and self esteem. The meditation that is involved sometimes makes the patients go through unique self defining experiences, sometimes claiming to have visions or seeing things which has been defined as a crucial transitory phase through which the patient requires support. It can sometimes lead to a reorganization of the priorities of an individual and open deeply buried desire which can be the essence of the cure one requires.

Conclusion

The spiritual therapy course that I went through did however present me with some of the drawbacks of this approach. Not everyone is trained to handle this and it can result in the exploitation of many patients. Charlatans can easily pretend to be spiritual therapists while exploiting their patients financially and in other ways. However, given the merits of this approach as I discovered in the United States, it can truly be an eye opening experience with a sense of harmony following the end of therapy which may be unrivalled in an individual’s lifetime.

The fascination with yoga has been growing in the western world for decades. However, few people, even among those who practice the western version of yoga, are aware of its true origins and meaning. While many perceive yoga solely as a set of exercises with complicated balance poses, the documentary “Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual” is focused on the exploration of what yoga is in India and what kind of people practice it.

The film under discussion was made in 2005 and is dedicated to the research of the true yoga practice that takes place in India. In the film, it is noted that people who decided to devote their lives to the practice of yoga would leave their homes, “abandon the conventional life” and the “householder stage” to “wander around in the mountains and in the forest” (Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual). According to this documentary, yogis dedicate their lives to the search for oneness with taking full responsibility for the entirety of human nature including its spiritual aspects and dimensions. In that way, yoga represents a “sacred science about inner self” (Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual). The journey of a yogi never ends, as the link with the divine needs to be maintained by keeping pure and staying away from temptation. Movement is one of the essential elements of the journey of a yogi because it prevents attachment and habits. An illustration of this idea, the narrator of the film states that “the river keeps clean by flowing” (Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual). In other words, yogis always have to be on the go in order to stay clean and detached from material values.

The human habit of acquisition of things and the creation of conditions of comfort is what yogis reject. In their pursuit of spiritual life, they must let go of things that are not related to spirituality and represent materiality. Alongside material goods, yogis must also give up conventional preconceptions about themselves and the world around them. This is believed to be the way to gain control of one’s mind, which is the main goal of a yogi. The makers of this documentary explored the motivation of various yogis of India that led them to drop out of the society and embrace the path of loners always roaming around from place to place and spending hours in meditation. One of the yogis interviewed from the film stated that “if God is in your heart, then the whole world is yours” (Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual). In that way, just like the yogis of the past, contemporary ones follow the same path. They distance themselves from civilization as we know it, give up material goods, develop new sets of values and maintain them for the rest of their lives regardless of the struggles and challenges that come along with this choice.

In the film, it is said that in embracing the spiritual journey and choosing to transform into a yogi, one must reenact their own funeral as a symbol of leaving the old self behind along with all the things and people they used to be attached to in the past. Yogis receive new names and treat themselves as new forms of self whose lifestyle is nothing but the practice of yoga, the endless movement, and the ultimate test of their devotion and loyalty to the divine.

Work Cited

Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual. Directed by Paula Fouce, performance by Swami Vidyanand Swaroop Bramachari, Paradise Filmworks International, 2005.

Challenge

Although spirituality is increasingly gaining currency as an integral component of adult education and adult development theory (Fenwick & English, 2004; Zinn, 1997), scholars are yet to develop a conclusive framework that could engage spirituality in transforming adult learners to become agents of social change in their communities (Bean, 2000; Tisdell, 2000). Indeed, many adult educators have found that teaching adult learners for social change is increasingly difficult as it requires a willingness to deal with conflict, opposition, and strong emotions as the adult populations engage in critical dialogue with the view to initiating social action to transform communities (Tisdell, 2000). Because of this challenge, there arises a need to come up with innovative ways through which adult educators can engage spiritual dimensions while working with communities to initiate social change and development.

Solution

Extant literature demonstrates that spirituality has a critical role to play in an individual’s creation of the ultimate meaning of life, as well as in developing a sense of wholeness and the more authentic self (Tisdell, 2008). Additionally, it is conceivable that spirituality can be used in adult learning not only to influence one’s beliefs and behaviors (Fenwick & English, 2004) but also to develop self-image and actuate a deep structure of internalized relationships with emotionally significant others (Olson, 2011). More importantly, in social change contexts, spirituality can be used to influence the attitudes of learners by creating and demonstrating an awareness that they are bound by something greater than their pursuits, hence the need to work together as human beings are connected to all of creation (Milacci, 2006). These variables can be used to develop an innovative framework through which adult educators can engage spiritual dimensions as they work with community members to spur social action and achieve social change.

As already mentioned, adult educators teaching adult learners for social change find it increasingly difficult due to conflict, resistance, and strong emotions as community members attempt to come together to initiate social action (Tisdell, 2000). Extant literature demonstrates that much of the conflict and/or resistance in such planned changes come from socio-cultural, political, religious, and economic barriers experienced at the community level (Zinn, 1997), hence adult educators and other social activists must attempt to embrace a holistic approach in solving these issues by not only targeting their instructions at the creation of meaning out of life experiences and employing proactive strategies to change the beliefs and behaviors of community members, but also underscoring the principle that all human beings of the world should have equal “opportunity to develop socially, morally, and politically, and to benefit economically form the earth’s bounty” (Bean, 2000 p. 67). This way, the community members, presumed in this paper as adult learners, will find enough reason to put their differences aside and work collaboratively and cooperatively with the educators to initiate social change.

It is important to underscore some specific themes that should be integrated into the innovative approach to minimize conflict and resistance of community members in initiating social change and development. One of the foremost dimensions that adult educators could use in this context is to recognize that a Christian understanding of spirituality is one among several in the spirituality paradigm, and that “other notions of the construct grounded in a variety of religious and faith traditions exist that are equally as important and worthy of exploration” (Milacci, 2006 p. 212).

In a community setting, adult educators should therefore develop strategies aimed at encouraging the learners to move away from holding their spiritual values and symbols of their culture of origin as supreme to others, and instead embrace a diversity of these values and symbols. In their instruction, adult educators should also emphasize the value of life force, interconnectedness, and wholeness in the pursuit of collective goals and aspirations at the community level. Additionally, adult learners should always be reminded to reflect upon a perceived higher power that facilitates healing and provides individuals with the ultimate meaning of life. Lastly, the adult learners should also be encouraged to develop self-image and authentic identity by way of inner reflection and outward social action, and also focus on the development of internalized relationships with other community members as they attempt to initiate the needed social change (Bean, 2000; Tisdell, 2000; Tisdell, 2008).

Ultimately, this exploration has demonstrated how spirituality dimensions/themes can be innovatively employed by adult educators in community settings to initiate social change and development. Many community projects fail to become successful due to constant misunderstandings among community members, and adult educators in such community platforms may fail to make the desired impact due to conflict, resistance, and strong emotions as members differ over a wide range of issues. However, adult educators who utilize the specific themes as indicated in the discussed innovative approach will certainly rise above these challenges and act as champions of social change and development. It is important to note that these themes need to be incorporated together and implemented as one innovative approach to achieve success. As already mentioned, the collaboration between adult educators and learners (community members) is of utmost importance for the attainment of social change and development.

References

Bean, W.E. (2000). Community development and adult education: Locating practice in its roots. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 85, 67-76.

Fenwick, T.J., & English, L.M. (2004). Dimensions of spirituality: A framework for adult educators. Journal of Adult Theological Education, 1(1), 49-64.

Milacci, F. (2006). Moving towards faith: An inquiry into spirituality in adult education. Christian Higher Education, 5(3), 211-233.

Olson, C.G. (2011). Relational spirituality among adult students in non-traditional programs. Christian Higher Education, 10(3/4), 276-295.

Tisdell, E.J. (2000). Spirituality and emancipator adult education in women adult educators for social change. Adult Education Quarterly, 50(4), 308-336.

Tisdell, E.J. (2008). Spirituality and adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 119, 27-36.

Zinn, L.M. (1997). Spirituality in adult education. Adult Learning, 8(5/6), 26-30.

Introduction

Adult education as the term refers to, involves educating and teaching adults; grown-up men and women that are above the age of eighteen. This can take place in workplaces through the system of extension schools, community colleges, universities and folk high schools. In the current times spirituality and religion are used interchangeably. Spirituality often requires a continuous strike of balance between one’s inner and outer self.

This is what is known as public spirituality as it has to be worked out on people’s lives. This can be termed as the spirituality of living and having that usually takes in all beliefs and practices. The focus of public spirituality is on existing relationships as well as on developing the meaning of life among adults (Lauzon, 2010). Currently, research shows that most adults take part in some form of learning in their day to day lives which including learning issues on spirituality.

Many of them enroll in universities and colleges so that they can further their education (Kasworm, Rose & Ross-Gordon, 2010). One of the factors that inspired adult education was spirituality. Currently, spirituality and spiritual inspired education has increasingly become marginalized. This is because the state and church have been separated as a result of an increased focus on professionalism leading to the secularization of adult education. Adult learning was intended to bring change in an individual’s life through the enhancement of spirituality (Lauzon, 2010).

As much as many adults enroll in the adult learning programs, most of them end up dropping out. They find it difficult and challenging to strike a balance between their family, job and education. They also find it hard to manage their finances when it comes to supporting their education and families at the same time. Dropping out prevents them from attaining the main purpose of spirituality in adult education, which is spiritual growth. There are various challenges within the adult education system when it comes to enhancing spirituality on the life of students. This paper will look at a challenge within the field of adult education and also propose a solution to this challenge.

Current challenge in adult education that needs consideration

It is just until recently that a trend towards a decrease in focus of spirituality in adult education emerged. A major challenge in adult education is lack of professional development opportunities for the facilitators of adult education, and especially when it comes to the skills required in the incorporation of spirituality in the learning process. This is evident from the fact that most of the trainers are taken directly from other professions, and lack sufficient training to be able to mentor adult students spiritually, and to give them the required guidance.

In today’s adult education systems, facilitators mainly give the required professional knowledge, and fail to focus on the spirituality of the students. What they have learned in their field of profession is perceived to be insufficient for the student’s development of public spirituality (Mayson, 2004). Spiritual based adult education calls for trainers who will able to guide the students in the course of their spiritual journey.

The positions that are available for facilitators are mostly part time, with absolutely no benefits or even stability (Harrington, 1997). This is because they are funded by grants from the government and; hence, likely to last for just a few years. This means that there is no consistency within adult education when it comes to facilitators.

Relevant statistical trend

There is a variation in the preparation time when it comes to elementary and secondary school teachers. Elementary teachers receive up to 7% time, while secondary teachers get up to 12.5%. However, when it comes to adult facilitators, the situation is different. Almost 90% of the adult facilitators do not get any form of training and development that will assist them when it comes to dealing with their students (Appelt, 2004).

The quality of adult education depends mostly on the instructions given when it comes to the improvement of outcome in adult learning. The Office of Vocational Research and Adult Education (OVAE) has put a lot of effort and funding towards adult education research.This aims at ensuring that learners are able to undertake research, understand the research process as well as be able to utilize the findings obtained.

Relevant changes in policies

Several policies have been put in place to facilitate the professional development of adult facilitators. In 1991, for instance, there were amendments made on the National Literacy Act, later named Adult Education Act, section 353 that indicated that states should set aside 15% of basic grant funds to be used in the training of facilitators, and in demonstration projects. In the fiscal year of 1994, 11 million dollars was distributed by states for use in adult education programs. A lot of state literacy resources are also being utilized for the professional development of adult education trainers (Burt & Keenan, 1998).

Proposed solution

The aim of adult education, with regard to spirituality, is to give an education that provides an opportunity for choice and autonomy. For this to be achieved, efforts should be made towards the professional development of trainers to enable them give proper guidance to adult learners on issues pertaining to spirituality. First, there should be an increase in funding towards professional development of these trainers.

This problem cannot be solved by just the government; hence, nongovernmental organizations and churches should support adult education through the provision of funds that will be used for the training and developing these trainers. The training should ensure that the facilitators strive to create spaces that are safe, respectful as well as attentive to the needs of learners, and the entire environment (Lauzon, 2010).

It is important for trainers to also have a professional development toolkit. This mainly helps in promoting a successful and effective process of goal selection, needs identification as well as goal implementation.

Impending consequences for learners, facilitators, providers, or society

If the identified challenge is not addressed, then learners will not be successful in their spiritual journey as their trainers are not competent enough to take them through. Facilitators ought to embrace the learner-teacher and teacher-learner approaches. This means that everyone is a learner; hence, if this challenge is not overcome, then the facilitators will also have no chance of developing themselves spiritually. The society needs adults who are responsible and that can relate to others positively. This can be achieved only through adult education that is spiritually motivated. If this issue is not dealt with, then the society will continue to be burdened with an increased number of illiterate adults with no public spirituality (Lauzon, 2010).

Conclusion

Since spiritually inspired adult education is quite an emergent education and clearly indicates that there are more fundamental changes which are taking place globally. The main interest when it comes to spirituality and commitment towards spiritual practice is human evolution. It is very important to ensure that facilitators of adult education are properly prepared in order to ensure success in adult education, and to provide an education that is spiritually motivated.

References

Appelt, K. (2004). Research-Based Professional Development for Adult Educators. Literacy links, 8:3. Web.

Burt, M. & Keenan, F. (1998). Trends in Staff Development for Adult ESL Instructors. Web.

Lauzon, A. (2010). Spirituality and Adult Education: An emergent perspective. Web.

Jaffee, A. (2001). Adult education. Princeton, N.J.: Ontario Review Press.

Kasworm, C., Rose, A. & Ross-Gordon, J. (2010). Adult and Continuing Education. LA: SAGE publications Inc.

Mayson, J. (2004). Adult education. Chapel Hill, N.C. : American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.