The Concept of Spirituality in Nursing Theory

Spirituality is defined as a quality that transcends religious affiliation and strives for inspiration, reverence and awe, and as the inherent drive of a human being to empathize and act for others just as one would do for himself. Nursing is a fantastic opportunity to put one's spiritual mettle to test.

Interact at a Personal Level

• Nurses work with their patients in close quarters and hence get to understand them and feel the patient's psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual condition.

Relate at an Emotional Level

• Nurses can help patients to deal with anxiety effectively by reassuring them of a brighter tomorrow.

Relate at a Spiritual Level

• Nurses can also help to spiritually uplift patients with terminal illnesses so they can be prepared to leave the bodily kingdom into a higher state of consciousness without any elements of fear, uncertainty or anxiety.

Patients of All Age Groups

• Nurses have to deal with kids, teens, adults, and the elderly individually, understand their needs and respond accordingly.

Tested on Patience

• Patience is by far the most enduring spiritual quality, and nurses are constantly put to test on this for they deal with patients of different temperaments, some physically challenged others mentally challenged, while some may just be ill tempered. A true nurse would effectively handle any scenario with strength and wisdom.

  Thus, the terms spirituality and nursing complement each other from a philosophical perspective, as an individual who practices nursing inevitably experiences or comes in close contact with his spiritual dimension when reaching out to others in need with total self forgetfulness.