The power of nurse-client encounters. Interpreting spiritual themes

Both clients and caregivers are confronted with their own spiritual needs in the search for meaning within the health care experience. Yet, time for reflection on the powerful nature and mutuality of care giving is often crowded out by the busyness and intensity of health care. Using a guided reflection technique, 40 nurse participants in five focus groups examined a written nurse-client encounter. Qualitative analysis of the merged data yielded five common themes and descriptive patterns: common elements in the encounter, descriptors portraying the encounter, meanings conveyed by the illness, spiritual needs uncovered, and a framework to apply to practice. Caregivers must be able to see illness as a meaning-intensive experience to be able to help clients understand their own spirituality. The reciprocity of the spiritual connection in health care encounters is proposed as a significant factor in renewal, satisfaction, and healing outcomes for both nurse and client.