In Today’s podcast I am going to attempt defining spirituality in its broadest sense and then relating spirituality to nursing care. We will confirm that spiritual care is a legitimate part of nursing care and deserves more attention in practice. This will be a two part podcast. Today is part one: The definition of spiritual care giving and the role of the nurse as a spiritual care practitioner.

In reading various definitions, one thing stands out. Spirituality is difficult to pin down as one thing. Here are a few of the definitions and we’ll work through them to find a consensus.

1. In a nonreligious view of spirituality someone would claim spirituality is anchored on your purpose in life. The practice is to choose the spiritual beliefs that can help you to achieve your purpose. Spirituality is what inspires us to do what is right and good for ourselves and others.

2. In its most basic or anthropological sense, spirituality, like personality, is a characteristic of the person as such. It is the capacity of persons to transcend themselves through knowledge and love, that is, to reach beyond themselves in relationship to others and thus become more than themselves alone. Spirituality, like personality can vary from person to person. There is no one size fits all.

3. From the British Journal of Nursing article in 2004, “The puzzle of spirituality for nursing: A practical guide by Aru Narayanasamy the author gives this definition, Spirituality is defined as the essence of our being and it gives meaning and purpose to our existence. Our spirituality gives us a sense of person hood and individuality. It is the guiding force behind our uniqueness and acts as an inner source of power and energy. Spirituality motivates us to be connected with others and our surroundings. It provides us with a sense of wholeness, stability, wellness, security, hope and peace. It comes into focus in critical junctures in our lives when we face emotional stress, physical illness or death.

Finding consensus, we can say spirituality in its broadest sense is what helps us make sense of the world and connect to those around us. Spirituality is what gives us hope for the future and peace in the present.

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