Lesline P. Lewinson
Staffordshire University, United Kingdom
Title: Student nurses appreciate experiential learning for spiritual care in hospice and palliative care settings
Biography
Biography: Lesline P. Lewinson
Abstract
Spirituality is subjective, broad, multifaceted, and defies consensus in terms of definition. However, there is recognition that the spirituality influences a patient’s physical and mental health, also their wellbeing and quality of life. Accordingly, spiritual care is considered a part of the nurse’s role and is an integral part of holistic nursing care. However, the nursing profession favours the medical model of health that concentrates on the physical and psycho-social aspects of health care, and for the most part neglects the spiritual. Nevertheless, pre-registration nurse education has a responsibility to adequately prepare student nurses for all aspect of their role, but research shows that matters of spirituality are poorly represented in nurse education and training. While debates continue as to whether spirituality education is more ‘caught than taught’, nurses desire to be better equipped to deliver spiritual care. Therefore, some preliminary findings from a grounded theory investigation provides useful information to show that, student nurses will draw on various resources to enable them to fulfil the spiritual part of their role. In addition, clinical experience in hospice and palliative care environments, seem to provide most useful learning opportunities for students’ understanding and facilitation of spiritual needs.