Spiritual care services in emergency medicine

Abstract

Providing spiritual care services in Emergency Departments is essential to treating the patient in a holistic manner. After all, a patient is not an illness or a statistic but a complex human being; a mass of emotions and fears facing an unknown. As simple as this concept is, it can easily appear to be forgotten in a fast-paced emergency department (ED). Sensitivity to the spiritual needs and differences that patients bring to the ED helps to foster the humanity of each patient regardless of cultural, socioeconomic, ethnic, or religious differences. Understanding the patient as a spiritual being necessitates the care of not only the body (physical) and the mind (mental), but also the spirit (spiritual health and wellness). Spiritual/pastoral care services provided in the ED are a significant aspect of treating the whole patient during a health crisis or trauma. Above all, the effort to recognize and address the spiritual needs and differences of patients through spiritual/pastoral care demonstrates cultural competency.