The nurse, while working with a client to support and assess spiritual

The nurse, while working with a client to support and assess spirituality should first:

1. Refer the client to the agency chaplain
2. Assist the client to use faith to get well
3. Provide a variety of religious literature
4. Determine the client’s personal belief system

ANSWER

ANS: 4
While working with a client to assess and support spirituality, the nurse should first determine the client’s perceptions and belief system. Exploring the client’s spirituality may reveal responses to health problems that require nursing intervention, or it may reveal the existence of a strong set of resources that enable the client to cope effectively. Although the agency chaplain may be a source for referral, it is not the first action the nurse should take in assessing and supporting a client’s spirituality. The nurse needs to first assess a client’s spirituality to determine the client’s perceptions and belief system before attempting to assist the client to use faith to get well. Providing a variety of religious literature may be ineffective as it does not address the client as an individual and does not assess the client’s personal spiritual needs. The nurse should first assess the client’s perception and belief system before implementing any intervention.