Date of Graduation
5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Nursing
Advisor/Mentor
Weymiller, Audrey
Committee Member/Reader
Smith-Blair, Nan
Committee Member/Second Reader
Hale, Cathy
Abstract
Background.
Heart failure (HF) is a severe, progressive disease that afflicts large numbers of
individuals around the world. One significant factor affecting quality of life in persons
with HF is the extent to which spiritual needs are met. Developing an understanding of
spirituality in the HF patient is essential in order for the healthcare professional to
provide the highest quality care possible. This study focused on examining spirituality
in HF patients by means of conducting in-depth interviews with individuals diagnosed
with HF and completing a descriptive analysis of the responses. The goal of this study
was to gain insight into how spirituality affects the healthcare professional-patient
relationship in regards to HF.
Methods.
This project was a qualitative descriptive study in which six people with
established diagnoses of HF were interviewed in-depth utilizing a reliable spiritual
assessment tool, FICA (Faith, Importance, Community, Address in care), as a base
accompanied by follow up questions. The data were transcribed and critically analyzed.
Results.
Five of six participants in this study verified important spiritual beliefs and
described various ways these impact their day-to-day lives, relationships, and
healthcare practices. One participant denied spirituality or religion to be significant in
her life.
Conclusion.
The findings of this study support the premise that spirituality is unique to each
individual. By inquiring into a patient’s spiritual beliefs, one can access a wealth of
information regarding the individual’s background, personality, psychological state,
ideals, and more. The possible positive impact addressing spirituality could have for
both patients and providers will remain unknown until further research is conducted.
Citation
Reggio, A. M. (2016). Qualitative Exploration of Spirituality in Heart Failure Patients. The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursuht/44
Included in
Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons, Therapeutics Commons