1. Spirituality
21:00 min 1999

This video examines the phenomenon of spirituality. Interviews with pastoral care professionals, nurses, a writer and an award winning author result in an extensive examination of what spirituality is and what it is not.

Nursing as a profession has long been associated with spirituality. As the age of science and reasoning emerged, the spiritual dimension was largely neglected. At the present time, however, there is increasing attention being focused on the spiritual dimension of nursing practice.

Accurate and sensitive assessment is the key to responding to clients'spiritual needs in an appropriate and effective manner. This video explores the rationale for nurses being involved in spiritual assessment. It also shows how one particular assessment guide is used with patients.

This video explains the rationale for incorporating spirituality into mental health care. Expressions of spirituality that nurture mental health are described. How mental illness could impact a person's life, including the spiritual dimension, is explored. Unique aspects relative to mental illness that have implications for spiritual care are discussed. Key spiritual issues and needs experienced by persons who have a mental illness are identified. The role of the nurse in providing spiritual care to persons experiencing mental illness is illustrated throughout the video.

This video identifies key characteristics of chronic health problems and how those characteristics could impact on a person's spirituality. Spiritual practices that nurture spirituality are described. Key spiritual issues and needs experienced by persons with chronic health problems are identified. The role of the nurse in providing spiritual care to persons experiencing chronic health problems is illustrated throughout the video.

This video illustrates how life-threatening illness could impact a person's spirituality. Spiritual issues and needs are explored, as well as how a person's spirituality could impact upon his response to life threatening illness. Spiritual resources that can be used to deal with such illnesses are identified. The role of the nurse in providing spiritual care to persons experiencing life-threatening illness is illustrated throughout the video.

This video focuses on how spirituality is expressed and nurtured in older adults. Key spiritual issues and spiritual needs are examined, including those pertaining to the cognitively impaired older adult. Qualities of the nurse that are conducive to providing spiritual care are discussed. Throughout the video, the role of the nurse in providing spiritual care to older adults is portrayed.

This video illustrates how death and dying impacts on both a patient's spirituality and family members' spirituality. Key spiritual issues and needs that come to the forefront for palliative care patients and their families are also identified. How a person's/family's spirituality may impact on responses to death is presented. Spiritual resources that can be used in the journey through the dying process are explored. The role of the nurse in providing spiritual care to palliative care patients and their families is illustrated throughout the video.