Throughout the United States there are seven known Emmanuel Programs. The Emmanuel Program at St. Francis Hospital enabled staff and different hospital services to team up in an environment of holistic patient care. It empowerd staff to take proactive roles in being spiritually sensitive, attending to patients from a holistic "mind, body, spirit" perspective. Literature reviews support patients' abilities to recognize when they are being holistically cared for and that patients express more appreciation of such care. An established intentionality to see the program work has been essential for success. Nurses were given an opportunity to volunteer their participation within such a program so as not to feel an additional burden placed upon them in the plethora of duties already served by nursing. There were religious differences, denominational practices, male/female religious observances, and fears to spiritual care that posed barriers to this type of unit. All persons were assumed to possess a common need to be in touch with themselves, others, and with God/Divine/Creator or at least in search of these things. Religion and spirituality were seen as different entities and Emmanuel Program staff were not pressured to be religious, spread religion, or speak religious things. The difference between religion and spirituality were emphasized for those involved within the unit. Care teams met on a regular basis to discuss both medical and spiritual needs of patients. Preliminary evaluation results indicate that the Emmanuel Unit receives higher patient satisfaction ratings than other hospital units within St. Francis and similar regional hospitals.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify and define the spiritual needs of patients. 2. Articulate barriers and issues in developing a spiritual care unit. 3. Recognize the steps necessary to create, maintain, and evaluate a spiritual care unit.
Keywords: Religion, Alternative Medicine/Therapies
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