Nurse's Pocket Guide

• Encourage client/family to ask questions. Demonstrates support
for individual’s willingness to learn.
• Identify inappropriate coping behaviors currently being used
and associated consequences. Recognizing negative consequences
of actions may enhance desire to change.
• Ascertain past coping behaviors to determine approaches
used previously that may be more effective in dealing with
current situation.
• Problem solve solutions/identify areas for compromise that
may be useful in resolving possible conflicts.
• Provide calm, peaceful setting when possible. Promotes
relaxation and enhances opportunity for reflection on situation/discussions
with others, meditation.
• Set limits on acting-out behavior that is inappropriate/
destructive. Promotes safety for client/others and helps prevent
loss of self-esteem.
• Make time for nonjudgmental discussion of philosophic
issues/questions about spiritual impact of illness/situation
and/or treatment regimen. Open communication can assist
client in reality checks of perceptions and identifying personal
options.
NURSING PRIORITY NO. 3.To facilitate setting goals and moving
forward:
• Involve client in refining healthcare goals and therapeutic regimen,
as appropriate. Enhances commitment to plan, optimizing
outcomes.
• Discuss difference between grief and guilt and help client to
identify and deal with each. Point out consequences of actions
based on guilt. Aids client in assuming responsibility for
own actions and avoiding acting out of false guilt.
• Use therapeutic communication skills of reflection and
active-listening. Helps client find own solutions to concerns.
• Identify role models (e.g., nurse, individual experiencing similar
situation). Provides opportunities for sharing of experiences/hope
and identifying options to deal with situation.
• Assist client to learn use of meditation/prayer and forgiveness
to heal past hurts.
• Provide information that anger with God is a normal part of
the grieving process. Realizing these feelings are not unusual
can reduce sense of guilt, encourage open expression, and
facilitate resolution of conflict.
• Provide time and privacy to engage in spiritual growth/religious
activities (e.g., prayer, meditation, scripture reading, listening to
music). Allows client to focus on self and seek connectedness.
Information in brackets added by the authors to clarify and enhance
the use of nursing diagnoses.
Diagnostic Studies Pediatric/Geriatric/Lifespan Medications 649
SPIRITUAL DISTRESS