Spirituality, week 5 discussion 6 help

Please do a paragraph about this post with this instruction . 

post most have  4 or more  sentences .

 you also have to have a high quality post from a content perspective. This means it also needs to do more than agree with or praise a class mate. If you agree with a classmate, explain why, give an example, share what you learned in the readings

I think spirituality is overlooked during at a disaster as it it may be difficult to know where it “fits” or how the person(s) on the receiving end will perceive it. In my own community where I have been since 1983, working as a nurse & living as a resident, we have had earthquakes & fires, some small, some larger. The fires have consumed home & land and both have taken lives. I only left my home once & that was by choice, my oldest son was 6 at the time & very distraught at being able to see the fire (Highway 41 Fire) on the mountain (though it was quite far away) from his bedroom window.  You do not quickly forget the sites, scents or feeling of doom an impending disaster brings. Especially for children & I suspect elderly. I think each & every individual deals with it & responds in their own way, with some degree of spiritually, be known or not. Some turn to God, others question his existence. 

Some individual symptons of spiritual disease that may be exhibited during a disaster include; reconsideration of core religious beliefs, asking questions like “why did God do this?, questioning justice & meaning, feeling far from previously held beliefs, feeling a need to be cleansed, closing oneself off from loved ones, feelings of despair or lonliness or guilt, wondering about life & death or feeling shame. Everyone is different, so may think or feel some of these, or none.  It is very personal.

I experienced that disaster brought my community together. Families opened up their homes to others, ranchers boarded horses & cattle needing boarding, farmers opened their doors & land to other animals & stored machinery for safe keeping, businesses donated, restaurants cooked for the volunteers & workers & clergy men offered their services.  The list went on & on. Was this a normal response? Maybe not, but it worked, more than once. Perhaps not appropriate care for all invloved & were the spiritual needs met? I am not sure. I do think everyone tried their best.

Some basic standards & principles of disaster spiritual care includes; offer presence & hospitality, meet & accept & respect persons exactly as they are and DO NOT HARM- never evangelize or proselytize or exploit persons in vulerable need.

Spiritual care can include anything that assists a person, family or community trying to find their spiritual perspective as a source of strength, hope or healing. Anything that will help to cope with the crisis.

As healthcare providers (& clergy), I think the spiritual issues exist for quite some time after a disaster. The caring nature has them (us) taking care of others 1st. But, healthcare providers (& clergy) do need to take the time for themselves and address spiritual needs. Along the way there should be, end of shift de-briefing’s as well as accessibility to counseling. It is a very stressful time, both physically & mentally. 

Spiritual health tips for healthcare workers include; maintain a well balanced healthy diet, get some form of exercise, meditate or pray, talk to others to “vent” & let them know how you feel, it’s okay to have a “meltdown”, get enough sleep and don’t minimize your experience (Light Our Way, 2006).

A Community Health Nurse knows that spirituality is part of holistic care. He or she can assist anyone in their family, community or workplace with something as simple as a gesture of reaching out to someone you think is suffering. Be kind, treat respectfully & with dignity. Take the time to talk about concerns, fears & beliefs (Glock, 2011). It might put someone back on the right path. A little reassurance goes a long way. As for yourself, I am a true believer of a girls (or guys) night out with co-workers. It helps, it really does. We need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others.