DQ What spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster can arise for individuals communities and
DQ What spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster can arise for individuals communities and
Topic 5 DQ 1
What spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster can arise for individuals, communities, and health care providers? Explain your answer in the context of a natural or manmade disaster. How can a community health nurse assist in the spiritual care of the individual, community, self, and colleagues?
For individuals, they may feel hopeless, for the community, there will be trust issues and for the healthcare providers, there will be a struggle when it comes to their competence. There will be a feeling of being hopeless for an individual in cases or a manmade or a natural disaster because these things would happen abruptly and most of the time, we are unprepared.
Human as we are we would always feel a sense of hopelessness especially if we lost everything that we worked so hard for or losing a family member whom we love so much (Falkner, 2018). For the community, a feeling of distrust may occur because there will be times during our most vulnerable phase that we would question why the community let it happen or what have they done to help us out. Even the spiritual aspect of the community may be shaken because everything seems to be unsure at the moment and confusion or misunderstanding among members may happen.
As a community health nurse, one will be able to help in identifying opportunities to effectively deal with the spiritual well being of an individual, community, self, and colleagues thus, promoting holistic care. During a disaster, one vital role of a community health nurse is becoming an effective spiritual support so that individualized care with compassion can be implemented (Makwana, 2019). All aspects of being a person is shaken and spirituality should always be given prime importance too because once it has been effectively addressed, healing and recovery from a disaster can be observed faster among the individual, community, colleagues and even in oneself.
The spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster that can arise for individuals, communities, and health care providers, include providing emotional support and care in accordance with the religious preferences of the people who have been affected by the disaster. Thus, it includes setting aside one’s own religious inclination and values. Being neutral and giving support and care based on the beliefs and values of the people who have suffered (Falkner, 2018). For example, in case of dead people, helping the relatives in performing the last rites based on the religion and culture to which the deceased and his or her family belong.
References
Falkner, A. (2018). Disaster management. Community & public health: The future of health care. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from
American Red Cross. (2020) Spiritual Care Important Part of Red Cross Assisting in Disaster. https://www.redcross.org/local/arkansas/about-us/news-and-events/news/spiritual-care-in-disaster.html
