The Development of Spirituality Interest Group in the Republic of Ireland- an
Innovative Response to an Emerging Hiatus
Dr. Fiona Timmins, Associate Professor,
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity
College, Dublin
1
Co-authors
Ms. Jacqueline Whelan
Ms. Maryanne Murphy
Ms. Carole King
and
Dr. Vivienne Brady
Assistant Professors, School of Nursing and
Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin.
2
Spirituality Interest
Group at Trinity College Dublin formed 2013
The group aims:
To provide a platform to develop a
greater awareness of the need to
provide spiritual care.
To provide a platform to develop a
deeper understanding of the concept of
spiritual care.
To provide a space to promote, debate
and discuss the role of spirituality in
health care
Agreed* terms of reference are as
follows:
To raise awareness about providing
spiritual care in the healthcare context.
To develop, conduct and disseminate
research in the area of spirituality and
spiritual care related to health and well
being.
To host discussions about the topic in
order hear about the work and
ideas of others in the field, and contribute
to this debate.
* Survey 2014 n=17
Achievements so far
24/07/2016
•
Interdisciplinary & International
•
Within End of Life and Palliative Care in
Malignancy and Non-Malignancy
research theme at SONM
•
Membership grown from 17 in 2013 to
36 in 2015.
•
From 82% SONM staff to 44% in 2015.
•
Hosted 8 meetings, Two visiting
professors visits, 15 presentations, 6
public lectures and the first spirituality
in healthcare conference in Ireland.
•
Membership Centre for Spirituality
Studies University of Hull, UK.
•
Membership British Association for
the Study of Spirituality, UK
4
Achievements so far
4 hour educational Package for nurses and other
health care workers developed and tested
(Timmins et al 2014).
Audit of nursing textbooks 2013.
Future web based provision a possibility.
A Systematic Review (SR) of the Experience of
Spirituality from the Perspective of People Living
with Dementia
24/07/2016
5
Achievements so far
Funding application (2012 & 2014):

The establishment of a European Spirituality Nursing
and Midwifery Research Network to aid the scientific
exploration and advancement of spirituality and spiritual
care European Committee of Science and Technology
(COST)
Funding application (2014):

Wellcome Trust small grants
Funding application (2014):
 HRB and Wellcome Trust Post Doctoral Fellowship
Support
Funding application (2014):
 Marie Curie Post Doctoral Fellowship Support
Member of Centre for Spirituality Studies / University of
Hull, UK.
Member of British Association for the Study of Spirituality,
UK.
Membership HSE Multifaith Council.
24/07/2016
6
Spirituality is:
Spirituality (Weathers et al 2013):
Spiritual distress is defined as:
Answer Options
The impaired ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life through connectedness with self, others, art, music, literature, nature,
A state of suffering related to the impaired ability to experience meaning in life through connectedness with self, others, world or a superior being
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Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
1
2
5
10
5
3
4
Please indicate whether or not you agree that these related activities are
relevant to the provision of spiritual care in health care settings.
Answered: 17
Skipped: 0
Ans we r Op tio ns
Providing care to clients that involves the chaplain or
Referring a client to the chaplain or pastoral care
Providing a sacred space for clients, visitors and staff.
Providing clients access to religious services.
Providing clients with relief from suffering.
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D is a g re e
U ns ure
Ag re e
Stro ng ly
a g re e
1
1
0
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
11
12
10
10
6
4
3
5
4
7
Outline the extent to which you agree that the Group needs to do the
following:
Answe r Op tio ns
Develop or adopt an authoritative working definition of spirituality.
To take consideration of various paradigms and ways of viewing spirituality.
A spiritual care strategy?
Develop links with hospital and hospices.
Develop links with the community.
Develop an authoritative working definition of spiritual distress.
Develop an authoritative working definition of spiritual care.
To explore student nurses and midwives views of spirituality.
To contribute to national developments related to the field
To develop a specific Website for SIG activities.
To link with service user social networking sites.
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Stro ng ly
d isa g re e
Disa g re e
Unsure
Ag re e
Stro ng ly
a g re e
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
5
0
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
1
1
2
0
5
1
1
3
5
2
1
7
9
8
7
7
9
7
6
6
8
7
5
5
1
10
3
7
9
2
3
7
9
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2
Our vision for integrated Spiritual Care
“Health care professionals must be
guided by the individual patient with
his/her individual spiritual needs
whether directly or indirectly
expressed. ” (Mc Sherry 2006).
“The concept of a shared
responsibility underpins the idea of
inter-and-intra professional
collaboration. Without collaboration
spiritual care provision will be only
partially effective. ..spiritual care is
very much dependent upon a synergy
between all health care professionals,
patients and their significant others
“(Mc Sherry 2006).
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SIG looking forward
•
•
•
•
•
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Improve practitioners
knowledge and awareness in
practice.
Link research endeavours
nationally (Spiritual Academic
Centre).
Focused research agenda.
Contribute to national policy
in an active way.
Explore and support stand
alone research theme in the
SONM.
References
Caldeira, S., Carvalho, E., Vieira, Z. (2013). Spiritual distress –
proposing a new definition and defining characteristics. International
Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 24(2), 77-84.
McSherry, W. (2006) The principal components model: a model for
advancing spirituality and spiritual care within nursing and health care
practice Journal of Clinical Nursing 15, (7) 905-917.
Weathers, E., McCarthy, G., Coffey, A. (2015). Concept analysis of
spirituality: an evolutionary approach. Nursing Forum, Retrieved from
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25644366]. 20 February 2015.
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