Honoring the Essential Role of Spiritual Health for a Holistic Care Experience

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Peggy

WRHA Spiritual Health Practitioners Team
Published Wednesday, October 23, 2024

As we celebrate Spiritual Health Awareness Week (Oct. 20-26, 2024), it’s important to reflect on the vital role that spiritual health practitioners play in supporting the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of patients, families, and staff. Spiritual health isn’t just about religion – it’s about meeting people where they are and offering empathetic, non-judgmental support in some of life’s most difficult moments. In the story that follows, one of our practitioners shares a deeply personal and powerful experience, highlighting the delicate and meaningful work they do in helping others find comfort and understanding, even in the face of grief and emotional turmoil.

For more information or to access WRHA Spiritual Health Care, visit professionals.wrha.mb.ca/spiritual-health/

A First-Hand Experience: Navigating Grief, Conflict, and Compassion in Spiritual Health Care

I was in my second month of professional practice when I was paged to a Family Medicine unit. A dialysis patient had stopped treatment without involving his son in the decision, and the son was very upset about it. The son and his partner had been kicked out of the hospital in the middle of the night before due to arguing loudly. That afternoon the staff had been doing vital signs checks every half hour, and there had been no indication that death was imminent. When they checked at 2:30 p.m. he was found dead. A few minutes later the son and his partner arrived and were furious that they had not been called to rush in. They felt the unit held a grudge against them and had deliberately not called them in earlier.

The unit staff were quaking in their boots, and so was I. The son was carrying a Coke can and his breath smelled of alcohol, so I guessed there was alcohol mixed with the Coke. However, the son greeted me quite warmly and invited me into the patient’s room. I went directly to the bedside, out of habit, and right away regretted that the son was between me and the door. I was also very grateful right away that I felt I could hold off physically, if need be, until help arrived. I reassured myself that the door probably doesn’t lock from the inside.

The son’s partner was on the phone, and he ordered her loudly, with vigorous body language, “YOU get off the phone and come talk with this nice spiritual care lady!” She obeyed, and I spent most of the next 45 minutes listening supportively to the son describing his and his mother’s relationship with his abusive father. “When he bought a gun, I begged her to come live with me” stands out in my mind, as does his pain that, although he worked in a skilled trade, his father had never seemed to respect his career or himself. In the heat of the moment, I was puzzled about why the son was so distressed at the death of a father who had treated him and his mother so badly. However, on reflection I suspected that what had died that day was any hope the son had his relationship with his father could become positive and healthy.

After 45 minutes the son somehow segued to talking about the mosh pit at rock concerts. I have no experience of this, but somehow connected that with a funny story about dancing “The Butterfly” at wedding socials to see if he really was ready to move away from venting about his father. He asked me to join them for coffee, which normally I would have declined; however, this was a good opportunity to get them off the unit without any violent confrontations. When they left for home, the son ordered his partner again, “now YOU give this nice spiritual care lady a hug.”

Brenda Brand is a spiritual health practitioner at Seven Oaks Hospital in the Winnipeg and Churchill health region.

Honoring the Essential Role of Spiritual Health for a Holistic Care Experience

Spiritual Health Awareness Week (October 20-26, 2024) is a time to recognize the essential work of Spiritual Health Practitioners and Psychospiritual Therapists across healthcare settings. These professionals provide compassionate care to individuals navigating complex emotional and spiritual challenges, helping them explore their beliefs, values, and sources of strength.

This year’s theme, Breaking the Myths of Spiritual Care and Psychospiritual Therapy, aims to demystify these vital professions and raise awareness about their role in holistic health. Spiritual care is a critical component of healing – mind, body, and spirit.