UNIT 1

Question 1: From your re-reading of chapter 1 of Spirituality in Nursing, coupled with your consideration of assigned videos #1 and #2, what would you say is meant when we say that the basic spiritual posture of nursing & healthcare is “standing on holy ground?”  What does chapter 1 in our course text, coupled with video #2, help you understand about holistic nursing of the body, mind-spirit connection?  Why is this important?  Is there some aspect of the various dimensions of “caring” for the patient, as talked about in chapter 1, that stands out for you as particularly key for your view of nursing? Why or why not?

Question 2: After reading chapter 2 of Spirituality in Nursing, what particular stage of the development of the Nursing vocation, from the perspective of its spiritual history, stood out as particularly interesting and important for your own self-understanding as a nurse or healthcare practitioner? Why? Give us some “beef” regarding why you chose a particular stage.

Question 3: Having read and reflected upon the assigned material this week from our course text, Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care, how would you answer the following questions?  Be sure and number the answers to your questions to match the numbering of the following questions themselves:

A) Name 3 key aspects of what we mean by the term ‘culture’

B) What is the difference between primary and secondary characteristics of culture?  What role does Religion play in this?

C) Look at the list of attitudes that those working in health care should develop to become “culturally competent” in their dealing with patients, found on page 5.  Choose one that you sense you have already developed and explain why you think this is the case.

  D) Looking at this same list on page 5, choose one that you would like to develop more thoroughly as a result of our study this term – and explain why that is the case.

E) In considering the charts that depict the various domains and concepts that we will be using to gain a window into the various cultural groups we will study, take a close look at the charts numbered Box 2-9; 2-10; 2-11 and 2-12, on pages 18 -20 of our course text in the 2nd edition or pages 19 – 21, in the 3rd edition.  These charts provide the categories that we will be most interested in as we progress through the various cultures we will study in this course: namely the domains of death rituals, spirituality and spiritual practices, health care practices and health care practitioners.  As you look at these 4 domains, put yourself in the shoes of the patient, for practice.  Choose two of these that are most important about YOURSELF, i.e., domains that you would want a health-care provider to be aware of in treating you.  Name these two domains and briefly discuss why these are important to you. 

Question 4: In this course, we will be looking at both various real human situations and different religious traditions to see how we might minister to the spiritual and physical needs of our patients.  Our course text, Spirituality in Nursing, 6th edition, has added a significant chapter, chapter 14, on a set of special conditions for our times – namely – mass disasters – as a test case – wherein the special skills of those of us in healthcare will be called forth in unusual ways. Sometimes, crisis situations help us see things in sharp relief, which are beneficial for us, all the time.  After reading chapter 14, name and discuss 3 key insights that you learned and want to be aware of and sensitive to – regarding caring for patients – in both their physical and their spiritual needs – not only during mass disasters but all the time!  Is there any particular reason why you chose these insights?  If so, please share that with the class.

Question 5: Since the current Covid-19 pandemic is a type of mass disaster, what further insight did you gain from Video #3 on providing Spiritual Care during the current Covid epidemic, which though slowing down, is still present?  If you actually provided nursing care to a Covid-19 patient, are there any other insights you might offer the class, regarding spiritual care under these circumstances?