Natural and manmade disasters can cause substantial challenges in the context of health service delivery. Such events are often associated with particular spiritual considerations due to their strong relation to such concepts as suffering and death. As people reflect on the nature and purpose of their existence, community nurses, as well as other health care providers, face the necessity to ensure both the physical and mental comfort of others. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the spiritual considerations arising after disasters and a nurse’s role in this scenario.
Disasters have a profound impact on the communities in which they occur. When a catastrophic event strikes, it often leaves many people injured or dead. Accordingly, suffering is the usual factor faced by health service providers working during disasters. Such situations entail dire consequences in terms of people’s health, including the mental aspect of it. The overall nature of disasters induces strong spiritual considerations, as well, as making spiritual support an indispensable component of health care in this environment (Kestenbaum et al., 2018). Hunt et al. (2018) state that health service provisions in disasters are associated with certain ethical issues, which must be effectively resolved by community nurses. They must remain considerate and respectful of other people’s spiritual views while providing their services in an effective manner. It would be unwise to neglect the importance of spiritual care, as its essential nature was confirmed in an empirical study conducted by Kestenbaum et al. (2018). Therefore, nurses play a role of paramount importance in the discussed situation, as they may provide the required spiritual support to families and entire communities through an effective solution of ethical issues.
In conclusion, disasters often become highly stressful events, causing additional pressure on the health care system. As individuals and communities face death and suffering, certain spiritual considerations determined by their worldview arise. The role of a community nurse is to ensure an ethical, thoughtful provision of health services. The whole process must remain considerate in order to ensure the quality of spiritual care, which is an integral component of the health care disaster response.
References
Hunt, M., Pal, N. E., & O’Mathúna, D. (2018). Ethical challenges in the provision of mental health services for children and families during disasters. Current Psychiatry Reports, 20.
Kestenbaum, A., Fleischman, C. A., Dabis, M., Birnbaum, B., & Dunn, L. B. (2018). Examination of spiritual needs in hurricane sandy disaster recovery through clinical pastoral education verbatims. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 72(1), 8-21.