The spiritual aspects of dying at home. Holistic
Nursing Practice
Spirituality, in its broadest sense, is a part of the ontologic foundation of nursing; it is regarded as a basic characteristic of humanness important in human health and well-being.
Paterson and Zderad's humanistic nursing theory can be used to meet the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons in the home setting. The spiritual needs, as identified by Highfield and Cason, are applied to the hospice patient.
The comforts of the home environment and humanistic nursing practice are integrated in the "meetings" between dying persons, their families, and hospice nurses. These meetings contribute to fulfilling the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons. Hospice nurses practicing holistic nursing and using caring behaviors help dying persons develop a "more-being" in themselves as the triad of person, family, and nurse share the lived experiences. Hospice nurses use the caring behaviors, rather than the curing behaviors, to minister to the dying family. The nurse, the patient, and the family share the nursing situation in the framework of a "lived dialogue."' As Paterson and Zderad describe humanistic nursing practice, "a special kind of meeting of human persons”.
Some dying people, often struggle with finding a source of meaning and purpose in their lives, and begin to ponder on the essence of human existence. When an articulate woman dying of cancer was asked how the nurse could help her prepare for her death, she responded that she did not want help in preparing for death but rather wanted help in living the remainder of her life in a constructive way. Many terminally ill persons spend the long hours of quiet times reviewing their past life and evaluating how it has measured up to their value system. They search for awareness of their true self and their relatedness to a greater force, whether it be to a God or some higher being. For example, a person with terminal prostate cancer wanted to know why he was suffering more than other people he knew. He was satisfied when he realized that, because of his suffering, he had grown "more spiritual". When asked what he meant by "more spiritual," he replied that he had found a reason for his current predicament and a deeper appreciation of himself and his relationship with God.
Since hospice nurses are involved solely with dying persons and their families, they can best define those caring behaviors of holistic nursing practice by considering the four dimensions of the integrated person: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. In the spiritual aspect the hospice nurses working with terminally ill patient join them on the spiritual journey.
As part of their research to determine whether nurses were aware of patients' met and unmet spiritual needs, Highfield and Cason identified four spiritual needs of a person 1. The need for meaning and purpose in life 2. The need to give love 3. The need to receive love 4. These needs exist in all people, especially in the terminally ill whose remaining days become intense as they come face to face with the finality of their existence. These needs are met as the hospice nurse attends to the spiritual aspect of the dying person.
Spirituality, in its broadest sense, is a part of the ontologic foundation of nursing; it is regarded as a basic characteristic of humanness important in human health and well-being.
Paterson and Zderad's humanistic nursing theory can be used to meet the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons in the home setting. The spiritual needs, as identified by Highfield and Cason, are applied to the hospice patient.
The comforts of the home environment and humanistic nursing practice are integrated in the "meetings" between dying persons, their families, and hospice nurses. These meetings contribute to fulfilling the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons. Hospice nurses practicing holistic nursing and using caring behaviors help dying persons develop a "more-being" in themselves as the triad of person, family, and nurse share the lived experiences. Hospice nurses use the caring behaviors, rather than the curing behaviors, to minister to the dying family. The nurse, the patient, and the family share the nursing situation in the framework of a "lived dialogue."' As Paterson and Zderad describe humanistic nursing practice, "a special kind of meeting of human persons”.
Some dying people, often struggle with finding a source of meaning and purpose in their lives, and begin to ponder on the essence of human existence. When an articulate woman dying of cancer was asked how the nurse could help her prepare for her death, she responded that she did not want help in preparing for death but rather wanted help in living the remainder of her life in a constructive way. Many terminally ill persons spend the long hours of quiet times reviewing their past life and evaluating how it has measured up to their value system. They search for awareness of their true self and their relatedness to a greater force, whether it be to a God or some higher being. For example, a person with terminal prostate cancer wanted to know why he was suffering more than other people he knew. He was satisfied when he realized that, because of his suffering, he had grown "more spiritual". When asked what he meant by "more spiritual," he replied that he had found a reason for his current predicament and a deeper appreciation of himself and his relationship with God.
Since hospice nurses are involved solely with dying persons and their families, they can best define those caring behaviors of holistic nursing practice by considering the four dimensions of the integrated person: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. In the spiritual aspect the hospice nurses working with terminally ill patient join them on the spiritual journey.
As part of their research to determine whether nurses were aware of patients' met and unmet spiritual needs, Highfield and Cason identified four spiritual needs of a person 1. The need for meaning and purpose in life 2. The need to give love 3. The need to receive love 4. These needs exist in all people, especially in the terminally ill whose remaining days become intense as they come face to face with the finality of their existence. These needs are met as the hospice nurse attends to the spiritual aspect of the dying person.