Spiritual Consideration a During Disaster

Topic 5 DQ 1

What spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster can arise for individuals, communities, and health care providers? Explain your answer in the context of a natural or manmade disaster. How can a community health nurse assist in the spiritual care of the individual, community, self, and colleagues?

Answer preview

Whether human-made or natural, a disaster’s effects are devastating and traumatic to the community, individuals, and health caregivers. Disasters cause stress, which places people’s physical and emotional health risks. During disasters such as the Covid-19, it is crucial to consider that all human beings are spiritual beings and require a relationship with other spiritual beings and God. Disaster disturbs the faith that provides hope, strength, and life meaning. When disaster strikes, questions arise in individuals’ minds as to why God allowed the disaster. Other issues that occur in individuals and communities include: feeling distanced from the faith they held before, crying, anger towards God, family, and others, despair, hopelessness, questioning life and death, distancing from family members. (Elk et al., 2017). Such justify the importance of spiritual care.

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