Supporting Healthcare Staff Through Spiritual Resources: Reflection and Realignment to Overcome Workplace Adversity and Difficulty Open Access

Brndiar, Gary (Spring 2021)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/k35695737?locale=en
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The research focuses on the relevance of spirituality and spiritual resources for healthcare staff serving in hospital settings. Literature and evidence over the past two decades have demonstrated the importance of spiritual care for hospital patients. However, the information available for spiritual care for the wellbeing of healthcare staff is still a developing area of research and study. I argue that spirituality is a crucial part of caregiver identity and is an invaluable asset to nurses as they effectively and compassionately serve others and care for themselves. I observed caregiver—clinical exhaustion, moral distress, and secondary trauma among nurses serving increasing patient loads, including the increased and complicated needs of COVID-19 patients. In coordination with healthcare and hospital leadership, I facilitated spiritual reflection and realignment for staff through encounters, debriefs, and mentoring. The initiatives designed and implemented equipped staff to understand spirituality as critical for their wellbeing. The project supported critical care nurses facing complex and challenging situations by providing direct encounter care, including focused debriefs and reflection and reframing of the nurses' services.

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