Spiritualism And Nursing: The Importance Of Spiritual Care In Intensive Care Patients

Abstract

Spirituality is described as one of the most indispensable dimension of the holistic care philosophy which is defined as a search of human beings to find a relationship between one’s own spirit and a divine spirit. There is a spiritual dimension of every individual. Therefore, spirituality reveals itself as a necessity to be fulfilled in unfavourable conditions as life-threatening disease. Intensive care units are specialized units where holistic care is on the foreground where treatment and healthcare interventions are provided for patients who can not achieve their self-care. The patients who stay in intensive care units no longer come together with their friends and family, they can not practice their routine habits which all exert negative effects on their beliefs which add meaning and worth to their lives leading to the development of loneliness. Decrease in the quality of life caused by this situation increases the level of spiritual distress for the patients who stayed in intensive care units and the necessity of moral support increases.. Therefore, spirital necessities must be met together with all the physical and psychological necessities in intensive care units and spiritual care is a part of the holistic care. Spiritual care reinforces the ability to give the meaning to life again in patients and on intensive care patients overcome the disease, and the related problems But, intensive care nurses frequently disregard the spiritual dimension of the patient and become inapt to integrate the spiritual dimension to primary care . This article emphasized that intensive care nurses have an important role in meeting the patients’need of spiritual care an. Eventually, spiritual care is indivisible part of patient care.