Nurses know that they need to be ready to focus on their patient’s needs and fill their emotional tanks during distress. Knowing that they’re helping others live healthy lives can bring satisfaction to many nurses, but nurses also need to fill their tanks. According to a 2024 study, some nurses have turned to religion and spirituality to help them see meaning in their profession after experiencing work-based trauma.
Engaging in these types of practices has helped nurses overcome mental roadblocks, maintain self-compassion, and reduce anxiety and depression. Research has shown that it helped them build resilience and personal growth, making them happier inside and outside their careers.
What is Spirituality?
Spirituality is similar to religion, but this concept refers to an individual’s life search for meaning and purpose. Religion is adopting a set of beliefs and traditions from a church or faith in God, but spirituality is more flexible and non-denominational. This means that the practice can look more like personal development and self-care.
Practicing spirituality can involve meditation, prayer, journaling, or engaging in self-reflective practices that promote calmness and tranquility. It can also differ for each person, depending on their background.
“My spiritual journey, rooted in mindfulness and meditation, has been a critical coping mechanism,” says Julie Smith, a registered caregiver at Loving Homecare Inc. “It has offered me a sense of peace and stability amidst the chaos of healthcare, allowing me to approach each day with renewed patience and empathy for those in my care.”
Julie, who first used spirituality to disconnect from work, now practices meditation and reflective prayer to find peace after witnessing end-of-life scenarios on a daily basis through her profession.
“Embracing spirituality has helped me to see my work not just as a job but as a calling and an opportunity to provide comfort and healing in critical moments of human life,” says Julie.
Can Spirituality Help Nurses Professionally?
When nurses engage in any spiritual practice, they feel more connected to others and, as a result, more connected and attuned to their patients‘ needs and wishes.
Trent Carter, FNP-BC, CARN-AP, a nurse practitioner in addiction medicine at Curednation, recalls how spirituality transformed his approach to work.
By cultivating a sense of presence and gratitude, I’ve learned to navigate stressors with grace and intentionality, fostering deeper connections with patients and colleagues alike,” he says. “Spirituality has given me inner strength and resilience, empowering me to persevere through even the most challenging circumstances.”
Spirituality shouldn’t be practiced only so that nurses can be better engaged at their jobs; it helps to know that whenever they slow down and discover other ways of connection outside of their careers, they feel more satisfaction and are better able to cope with workplace (or family) incidents.
“Today, my life is enriched with a sense of purpose and meaning that transcends the routine challenges of my job,” says Julie. “This perspective shift has not only made me more effective in my role but has also brought an unparalleled sense of fulfillment and joy in my work.”
It brings joy, and practicing spirituality also helps nurses overcome PTSD. When healing from a traumatic event, such as caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses who use spirituality feel more connected to their support network, have higher levels of post-traumatic growth, and trust easier in life.
How Can Spirituality be Used in Healthcare?
In chaotic situations, people often turn to spirituality and religion to help them find relief from situations that they can’t understand. Leaders in healthcare environments such as hospitals, clinics, and other workplaces should consider how religion and spirituality affect their lives to help foster better-quality care for patients and healthier relationships between coworkers.
Plus, when nurses engage in spirituality with others (not just within themselves), they can learn that their work isn’t all doom and gloom or failed mistakes. Ultimately, nurses can discover that their work is meaningful and worthwhile, which can motivate them to thrive through their hardships.
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