Unity and Diversity in Spiritual Care 
Unity and Diversity in Spiritual Care
We are told that the very essence of good nursing is to help a person attain or maintain wholeness in every dimension of their being. 'Holism' has become the buzz word of the nineties, and nurses are frequently exhorted to care for the whole person. A new wave of terminology has evolved around this concept, and now in nursing theory you'll sometimes find a person described as a biopsychosocial unit! Is this a new direction or focus for nursing, or are we simply revisiting something we have always known to be important?
The nursing profession has traditionally viewed persons holistically, even though the term itself was not introduced into the nursing literature until the1980s by Rogers, Parse, Newman and others. In fact it would have been hard to find a nurse in any era who saw only the physical aspect of care as that which defines nursing. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, who brought to nursing not only her traditional Christian values but also some very 'modern' nursing values such as autonomy and professionalism, was a firm believer in holistic care. She claimed, "The needs of the spirit are as critical to health as those individual organs which make up the body". We've all observed that a physical condition can affect the mind and spirit. We're also aware that when a person is hurting emotionally or spiritually, all sorts of physical ailments may be manifested. What has changed is that we're now giving more attention and time to those other less tangible dimensions of a person's need.
The Nature of Spirituality
Spirituality has been defined in numerous ways. These include: a belief in a power operating in the universe that is greater than oneself; a sense of interconnectedness with all living creatures; and an awareness of the purpose and meaning of life and the development of personal, absolute values. It's the way you find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Although spirituality is often associated
We are told that the very essence of good nursing is to help a person attain or maintain wholeness in every dimension of their being. 'Holism' has become the buzz word of the nineties, and nurses are frequently exhorted to care for the whole person. A new wave of terminology has evolved around this concept, and now in nursing theory you'll sometimes find a person described as a biopsychosocial unit! Is this a new direction or focus for nursing, or are we simply revisiting something we have always known to be important?
The nursing profession has traditionally viewed persons holistically, even though the term itself was not introduced into the nursing literature until the1980s by Rogers, Parse, Newman and others. In fact it would have been hard to find a nurse in any era who saw only the physical aspect of care as that which defines nursing. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, who brought to nursing not only her traditional Christian values but also some very 'modern' nursing values such as autonomy and professionalism, was a firm believer in holistic care. She claimed, "The needs of the spirit are as critical to health as those individual organs which make up the body". We've all observed that a physical condition can affect the mind and spirit. We're also aware that when a person is hurting emotionally or spiritually, all sorts of physical ailments may be manifested. What has changed is that we're now giving more attention and time to those other less tangible dimensions of a person's need.
The Nature of Spirituality
Spirituality has been defined in numerous ways. These include: a belief in a power operating in the universe that is greater than oneself; a sense of interconnectedness with all living creatures; and an awareness of the purpose and meaning of life and the development of personal, absolute values. It's the way you find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Although spirituality is often associated