As changes in technology, policy and management put an increasing emphasis on processes and procedures in nursing and health care, how do we continue to make room for compassion, the ancient human value that calls most nurses to the profession? In Spiritual Care in Everyday Nursing Practice, Janice Clarke argues that it is compassionate care of the whole person, body and soul, which is at the heart of nursing practice that values the individual and respects their dignity. Rather than seeing spiritual care as an addition to what nurses already do, this new approach considers it a natural part of compassionate care which doesn’t present the nurse with an extra ambiguous burden to deal with. Providing a brief historical introduction to the concept of spirituality, Clarke examines the ways in which our spiritual life – a source of strength and meaning – can be influenced by factors such as age, illness and suffering, and mental illness, as well as our religious beliefs. Providing a practical guide to talking about and working with spirituality, she explores how nurses might imbue all their practice including the physical aspects of care – from use of touch to helping patients to move, bathe and eat – with an attention to spiritual needs. A timely, accessible and practical introduction to a concept that is under-explored in contemporary nursing literature, this book will be of great value to students and professionals alike.
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