Which is the most appropriate intervention for the nurse attempting to meet the spiritual needs of a patient at the end of life?
1. Answer questions about the meaning of life, hope, and purpose of life based on the nurse's understanding.
2. Explain the role of suffering as the nurse sees it.
3. Discuss ethical decision making with the patient to clarify his desires.
4. Encourage, respect, and participate when comfortable in the patient's and family's cultural or spiritual practices.
4
Rationale 1: The patient is not asking for the nurse's beliefs; the patient is trying to sort out what he believes.
Rationale 2: A spiritual counselor or chaplain or priest should be consulted to help the patient explore the meanings within his own life events. If the patient asks the nurse what he or she believes, then the nurse should begin by asking what the patient believes so he or she can support or explore these questions further.
Rationale 3: Ethical decision-making processes should not be a topic of discussion for patients at the end of life. Exploring their views and allowing the patients to talk about their issues should be the most comfort when they are dealing with their own death. Adding guilt to their already heavy burden during the dying process is inappropriate.
Rationale 4: If not contraindicated by the nurse's own beliefs, the nurse can participate and encourage the practices that are spiritually or culturally comforting for the patient and family. If the nurse cannot participate based on her own beliefs, then it is her responsibility to find clergy, chaplain, or staff that can support these practices.
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