Connectedness in the Nurse-Patient Relationship

There are times when something extraordinary happens
between a patient and nurse. It feels different.
It s just special. An experienced nurse conducted
a grounded-theory study to explore just what happens
in this relationship, and the discoveries are
remarkable. This special bond, named connectedness,
occurs when the needs of the spirit are met by a
spiritually competent nurse. It takes place in a
setting of openness and trust in which there is a
nurse-patient exchange and spiritual guidance by the
nurse, all bounded by meaningfulness. The results are
an impact on one s life, healing, strength, and/or
growth. This study was a journey of meaningfulness
for both the researcher and many of the study
participants who shared their stories. The resulting
model, fully described, is a paradigm for
understanding an aspect of spirituality in nursing
practice. The rich stories and vibrant detail will
reach out to anyone who experiences or wants to
experience meaningful relationships.

Autorentext

Dr. Miner-Williams is a palliative care nurse and geriatrics research fellow at Texas Veterans HealthCare System as well as a university research assistant professor. She works with family caregivers and her research concerns the issues of family caregivers, spirituality in relationships, and stress management.

Klappentext

There are times when something extraordinary happens between a patient and nurse. It feels different. It's "just special." An experienced nurse conducted a grounded-theory study to explore just what happens in this relationship, and the discoveries are remarkable. This special bond, named connectedness, occurs when the needs of the spirit are met by a spiritually competent nurse. It takes place in a setting of openness and trust in which there is a nurse-patient exchange and spiritual guidance by the nurse, all bounded by meaningfulness. The results arean impact on one's life, healing, strength, and/or growth. This study was a journey of meaningfulness for both the researcher and many of the study participants who shared their stories. The resulting model, fully described, is a paradigm for understanding an aspect of spirituality in nursing practice. The rich stories and vibrant detail will reach out to anyone who experiences or wants to experience meaningful relationships.