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Spiritual Dimensions of the Perioperative Experience
Author(s) -
Griffin Andrew T.,
Yancey Valerie
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/j.aorn.2009.01.024
Subject(s) - perioperative nursing , meaning (existential) , perioperative , nursing , medicine , health care , psychology , psychotherapist , surgery , economics , economic growth
Nurses recognize the importance of spiritual care for facilitating healing and positive outcomes. Nurses caring for patients in highly technical surgical environments have unique opportunities and challenges when attending to patients' spiritual needs. Patients facing surgery often regard the event and the health implications associated with it as having meaning and significance for their lives. They draw upon spiritual resources to respond to the challenges of their illness and surgery. This article addresses the effect of life transition and uncertainty on a patient's surgical experience. Suggestions are made for ways perioperative nurses can provide spiritual care to help create healing environments. AORN J 89 (May 2009) 875–882. © AORN, Inc, 2009.