[Spiritual needs in emergency medicine]

Spiritual needs play an important role in the experience of illness, particularly in cases involving an existential threat. The majority of patients in the emergency department express spiritual needs, particularly the desire for inner peace. Such needs are reported significantly more often by women. However, identifying these needs can be challenging due to a lack of time and insufficient staff training as well as patients' reluctance, which renders holistic, patient-centered care difficult. Nevertheless, many patients wish for their spiritual concerns to be acknowledged. Indications of these needs may arise from religious affiliation, advance directives, or spiritual symbols worn on the body. To adequately address these needs, protected spaces should be created. Relatives should be involved wherever possible and pastoral care should be organized if necessary. Among emergency patients, this increases trust in medical care that considers the person as a whole. Engaging with spirituality is also important for the treatment team as it helps to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout, thus improving care in the process. However, many staff members rate their spiritual competencies as low, which is why targeted training appears advisable. Overall, both patients and teams benefit from the conscious integration of spiritual aspects into emergency care.