Spiritual and religious components of patient care in the neonatal intensive care unit: sacred themes in a secular setting
Catlin, E.A.; Guillemin, J.H.; Thiel, M.M.; Hammond, S.; Wang, M.L.; O'Donnell, J.
Journal of perinatology official journal of the California Perinatal Association 21(7): 426-430
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0743-8346 PMID: 11894509 Document Number: 539500
We hypothesized that spiritual distress was a common, unrecognized theme for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care providers. An anonymous questionnaire form assigned to a data table in a relational database was designed. Surveys were completed by 66% of NICU staff. All respondents viewed a family's spiritual and religious concerns as having a place in patient care. Eighty-three percent reported praying for babies privately. Asked what theological sense they made of suffering of NICU babies, 2% replied that children do not suffer in the NICU. Regarding psychological suffering of families, the majority felt God could prevent this, with parents differing (p = 0.039) from nonparents. There exists a strong undercurrent of spirituality and religiosity in the study NICU. These data document actual religious and spiritual attitudes and practices and support a need for pastoral resources for both families and care providers. NICU care providers approach difficulties of their work potentially within a religious and spiritual rather than a uniquely secular framework.