Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
258
Spiritual Beliefs: Differences between Early and Late Heart Failure
Sonya R. Hardin, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA, Leslie Hussey, PhD, RN, School of Nurse Anesthesia, Norman R. Wolford School of Nurse Anesthesia, Naples, FL, USA, and Mary K. Anthony, RN, PhD, College of Nursing, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: understand spirituality differences between early and late heart failure. |
| Learning Objective #2: understand the concept of spirituality as operationalized using the Spiritual Belief Inventory Scale (SIBS.) |
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a progressive and chronic disease that limits patients’ functional status and severely lowers quality of life over time. Assessment of spirituality may suggest strategies to maintain or improve quality of life. Therefore the aim of this study was to identify differences in spirituality between early and late heart failure patients. A convenience sample of 92 subjects were surveyed (N=92). A total of 25 subjects were in early stage (stage I or II) and 67 subjects were in late stage heart failure (Stage III or IV). Two different outpatient settings were utilized. Subjects were given The Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS) developed by Robert Hatch from the University of Florida. It consists of a 5 point Likert with 26 questions. This scale was designed to measure four factors of spirituality: External/Ritual-addressed spiritual activities/rituals; Internal/Fluid- internal beliefs and growth; Existential/Meditative-items dealing with meditation; and Humility/Personal Application-addressed humility and application of spiritual principles in daily life. Chi-Square, t-test and factor analysis were used to measure the significant differences between early and late heart failure patients. No significant differences were found between men and women. Findings suggested that individuals in the later stages of CHF significantly scored lower on The Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. Specifically, the item factored into the category of external/ritual accounted for the majority of the variance. Given that late stage heart failure patients had lower spirituality scores could be indicative that individuals transitioning toward the end of life are vacillating in their beliefs. Staging of spirituality may be related to stage of heart failure could have implications for adherence to prescribed therapies. Nursing implications include developing strategies toward the latter stages of chronic illness to enhance quality of life.