Spirituality as a coping mechanism.

Spirituality as a coping mechanism can be observed to be a powerful resource in the provision of comfort, peace, and resolution for patients confronted with critical illness. While the exact machinery of spirituality in adaptation and adjustment to illness is enigmatic, the complementary benefits are clearly illustrated in the analysis of recounted personal experiences. Analysis of interactions with patients living the experience of coping with critical illness provides nurses with a means of reflection and transformational learning which improves and preserves the spiritual heritage of nursing care.