Have access already?

Get access to this chapter:

Or get access to the entire book:

3: Spiritual Caring

DOI:

10.1891/9780826107138.0003

Abstract

This chapter helps the reader to understand the concepts of spirituality. It provides some guidelines for performing spiritual care. From a Christian perspective, Dueck proposes the idea of thick and thin spirituality. In his view, thick spirituality is deep, contextual and nestled within a religious tradition and a faith community. Since 2000, the Joint Commission (JC) has mandated that all clients be assessed for spiritual beliefs and practices and have available spiritual support. Over the years, several spiritual assessment and history tools have been developed by nurses, physicians, and chaplains. Spiritual assessment tools developed by nurses include: the spiritual perspective scale, the spiritual well-being scale and spiritual assessment scale. The nursing intervention of presence is defined by the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) as “being with another, both physically and psychologically, during times of need”. The concept of true presence is valuable to faith community nursing practice.