Spiritual health care model for gerontological nursing practice / Delia D. Mata Tan. 6

Thesis (M.A.) -- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Intramuros, Manila, 2002.;A thesis presented to the faculty of Graduate School of Arts, Sciences, Education, and Nursing, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Nursing. 56

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ABSTRACT. Statement of the Problem: This study is focused on the assessment of the spiritual need of the elderly in order to develop a spiritual health care model for gerontological nursing practice. Specifically, it sought to answer the following: 1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents as to: a. Age b. Gender c. Civil Status d. Number of children e. Religious affiliation f. Educational attainment g. Former Occupation 2. What are the spiritual needs of the respondents in the following aspects? a. the need to be loved; b. the need to experience forgiveness; c. the need to find meaning and purpose in life. 3. What are the helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the elderly? 4. Is there any significant correlation between the demographic profile and: a. spiritual needs; b. the helpful ways nurses may meet the spiritual needs of the elderly? 5. Based on the findings and analysis, what can be developed as a spiritual health care model for gerontological nursing to serve as a model for intervention in rendering spiritual care? Summary of Findings: Based from the data gathered, the following are the findings of the study: 1. Demographic Profile a. Majority of 62.07 percent of the respondents belonged to the 55-74 years old; five (5) or 17.24 percent have ages between 78-85. b. Females (93.10 percent) outnumbered the males (6.90 percent). c. 48.27 percent or fourteen (14) of the respondents belonged were widows. d. Majority or 31.03 percent have 3-4 children. e. Highest percentage (72.40 percent) in educational attainment were elementary level f. Twelve (12) or 61 percent of the respondents were housewives g. Nearly all the respondents or 26 respondents (89.65 percent) were Roman Catholics. 2. Spiritual Needs The topmost spiritual need is the need to experience forgiveness (XM= 2.91), followed by the need to be loved (XM= 2.50). While the need to find meaning and purpose in life has a grand mean of 2.81, it is considered the least. Analyzing from the behavioral statements, they are negatively phrased. 3. The Helpful ways nurses Can Meet the Spiritual Need of the Elderly. The statement Encouraging me to talk, anything that is bothering me is helping me express my feeling, ranked number one (XM= 4.23). On the other hand, the statement Listening actively while I talk about God is the least (XM= 3.80). The respondents are homogenous in their response (s=.12 <.50) regarding the helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the elderly. 4. Correlation Between the Demographic Profile and a. Spiritual Needs Gender, the number of children, civil status, age. Former occupation, religious affiliation are significantly correlated with spiritual needs. b. Helpful Ways Nurses Can Meet the Spiritual Need of the Elderly Age and gender are significantly correlated with the helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the elderly. 5. The developed framework for intervention is rendering spiritual care that will serve as a model for gerontological nursing practice is discussed below: Man is conceived as a triune being i.e. with body, soul, and spirit. In this particular study, it is assumed that the nurse, with the adept to use of the nursing process, is prepared to meet all the needs of man. With such preparation, the nurse is able to meet the spiritual need such as: the need to be loved, the need to experience forgiveness and the need to find meaning and purpose in life. With the correlation of the demographic profile such as age, gender, civil status, number of children, educational attainment, former occupation, and religious affiliation, the spiritual needs, and the nurses' helpful ways in meeting the spiritual needs during her contact with the client. Using the nursing process such steps as coming up with the nursing diagnosis, plan of care, implementation and evaluation, the nurse can effectively render spiritual care to the older persons. Conclusions: 1. There is a a significant correlation between gender, the number of children, civil status, age, former occupation, and religious affiliation are significantly correlated with the spiritual needs of the older persons. 2. There is a significant correlation between age, gender, and the helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the older persons. 3. The need to experience forgiveness is the topmost spiritual need, followed by the need to be loved and the least is the need to find meaning and purpose in life. 4. The statement Encouraging me to talk, anything that is bothering me is helping me express my feeling is the leading helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the elderly, and the statement Listening actively while I talk about God is the least. 5. The elderly are homogenous in their spiritual needs. 6. The elderly are homogenous in their perceptions on the helpful ways nurses can meet the spiritual needs of the elderly. Recommendations: Based on the findings and conclusions from the study, the researcher offers the following recommendations. 1. Implementation of the proposed spiritual health car model through the use of the action plan. 2. On the basic nursing education of nurses, increased attention should be given to the general appreciation of geriatric nursing and to the special knowledge and skills required in this field. 3. Specialization in Geriatric nursing may be offered to graduate studies. 4. Present the result of the study and the model to interest groups.

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