Betty Ferrell1, Elaine Wittenberg1, Vanessa Battista2, Gay Walker3. 1. 1 Division of Nursing Research and Education, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, California. 2. 2 Clinical Faculty, Boston College William F. Connell, School of Nursing, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3. 3 Hospice and Pediatric Palliative Care, Providence Trinity Care Hospice , Torrance, California.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore nurse experiences in communication with children about spiritual topics in order to develop training in this area. BACKGROUND: Although spiritual care is essential in pediatric palliative care, few providers receive training about communication with ill children about spirituality. METHODS: Researchers developed a brief survey to prompt nurses to reflect on pediatric palliative care experiences that included spiritual discussions. Nurses attending training courses voluntarily submitted stories. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed by members of the research team, consisting of two researchers with expertise in palliative care, spirituality, and communication and two expert pediatric palliative care clinicians. RESULTS: Nurses' spiritual conversations with children revealed that children question God and the reason for their illness, have a desire to talk about the afterlife as a way of understanding their limited lifespan, and to share descriptions of an afterlife, in these cases described as heaven. Nurses conveyed the importance of being present and engaging in spiritual communication with children. DISCUSSION: Communication training is needed and should prepare providers to respond to a child's spiritual questioning, assist parents when the child initiates discussion about the afterlife, and help parent and child understand the spiritual meaning of their illness. Chaplains serve as spiritual care experts and can help train nurses to screen for spiritual distress, have greater competence in spiritual communication, and to collaborate with chaplains in care. Quality palliative care is incomplete without attention to spiritual care.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore nurse experiences in communication with children about spiritual topics in order to develop training in this area. BACKGROUND: Although spiritual care is essential in pediatric palliative care, few providers receive training about communication with ill children about spirituality. METHODS: Researchers developed a brief survey to prompt nurses to reflect on pediatric palliative care experiences that included spiritual discussions. Nurses attending training courses voluntarily submitted stories. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed by members of the research team, consisting of two researchers with expertise in palliative care, spirituality, and communication and two expert pediatric palliative care clinicians. RESULTS: Nurses' spiritual conversations with children revealed that children question God and the reason for their illness, have a desire to talk about the afterlife as a way of understanding their limited lifespan, and to share descriptions of an afterlife, in these cases described as heaven. Nurses conveyed the importance of being present and engaging in spiritual communication with children. DISCUSSION: Communication training is needed and should prepare providers to respond to a child's spiritual questioning, assist parents when the child initiates discussion about the afterlife, and help parent and child understand the spiritual meaning of their illness. Chaplains serve as spiritual care experts and can help train nurses to screen for spiritual distress, have greater competence in spiritual communication, and to collaborate with chaplains in care. Quality palliative care is incomplete without attention to spiritual care.
Entities:
Keywords:
palliative care nursing issues; pediatric palliative care; spirituality
Authors: Terrah Foster Akard; Sarah Wray; Debra L Friedman; Mary S Dietrich; Verna Hendricks-Ferguson; Barbara Given; Cynthia A Gerhardt; Pamela S Hinds; Mary Jo Gilmer Journal: J Hosp Palliat Nurs Date: 2020-02 Impact factor: 2.131
Authors: Terrah Foster Akard; Samantha Burley; Maggie C Root; Mary S Dietrich; Brittany Cowfer; Kim Mooney-Doyle Journal: Palliat Med Rep Date: 2021-08-13