Spiritual Considerations in Disaster Situations
It is essential to recognize that people’s spiritual considerations can be profoundly affected by natural disasters. For example, people may question the existence of a higher power when floods or tornadoes claim the lives of a large number of individuals. In such cases, individuals may hold the idea that if there were a God, he would not have allowed such tragedies to occur. In the case of communities, the resilience and cohesion of the group of people change.
There are situations when natural disasters unite people, but in most cases, this leads to each person focusing solely on themselves. As a result, spiritual considerations shift, and people neglect the principles of helping their neighbors, adopting an individualistic approach instead. It is worth noting that healthcare providers can also undergo spiritual changes. For example, they experience moral suffering when they make decisions to save people’s lives. Then, their spiritual component suffers because it seems to them that there is no higher power when they have to constantly choose between the lives of different people.
Applying the Christian Worldview in Community Health Nursing During Disaster Management
In the context of a disaster, a community nurse with a Christian worldview can apply her beliefs to provide holistic care. For instance, in the case of an individual, the nurse may use active listening to help them cope with stress. Additionally, in the case of a community, a community nurse can organize prayer sessions to bring people together and enhance their spiritual well-being.
It is also essential to take care of oneself, which is why community nurses can engage in prayer and meditation to cultivate emotional resilience. Furthermore, community nurses can organize a safe workspace during natural disasters such as floods or tornadoes, where colleagues can take a break from work. Therefore, the role of the community nurse is extremely important in maintaining people’s spirituality during a natural disaster.
Reference
Rachel, H., Chiara, C., Robert, K., & Francesco, S. (2019). Spiritual care in nursing: An overview of the measures used to assess spiritual care provision and related factors amongst nurses. Acta Bio Medica: Atenei Parmensis, 90(4), 40-44. Web.