Paper
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Spiritual Practices across Cultures
Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, RN, PhD, MBA, FAAN1, Mary T. Quinn Griffin, PhD, RN1, Hae-Ok Lee, RN, MS, DNSc2, and Mally Ehrenfeld, PhD, RN3. (1) Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA, (2) School of Nursing, University Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, CO, USA, (3) Nursing, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| Learning Objective #1: identify spiritual practices used by different cultural groups. |
| Learning Objective #2: understand the need for future research on spiritual practices |
Background: Nursing as a science and professional practice is concerned with holistic interventions to improve the well-being of elders. There has been a recent renewed interest in the spiritual (wholistic) dimension of health and wellness, consistent with the historical focus of nursing scientifically and professionally. Yet, there is little research in this area, specifically research focused on interventions that elders use to enhance health and well being. In addition, there has been little examination of differences across cultural groups, within countries, or in different countries. This study was focused on healthy older persons. Objective: The goal was to describe the spiritual practices used by healthy older adults. Methods: Older adults were asked which of 12 spiritual practices they use on a daily basis. Samples included older adults from the United States, South Korea, and Israel. The US sample is comprised of older persons from America and those who recently immigrated from other cultures, e.g., Asian Americans. Results: Older adults identified several spiritual practices that they use daily in relation to health and well being, including prayer, music, reading, and quiet reflective time alone. There were similarities in spiritual practices used by healthy older persons across cultures. Conclusions: There is potential for nurses to enhance spiritual practices among elders. Future intervention studies are in the planning stages.