Spiritual Elements of Hospice Care

ABSTRACT

The challenge of meeting the spiritual needs of terminally ill patients and their families is a concern of all hospice staff members. Although the role of religion in American hospices is less institutional than in the British model, the role of spiritual care is, nonetheless, recognized to be an important aspect in promoting physical and psychological comfort. A former Dominican sister shares reflections as a nurse and administrator of a hospital-based inner city hospice. Referencing the literature as well as hospice experiences, the author offers suggestions and guidelines for developing meaningful programs of spiritual care.

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Patrice M. O’Connor

Patrice M. O’Connor, RN, has been the coordinator of the St. Luke’s Hospice Program at the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City since 1980. This article is based on a paper presented at the “Conference on the Secular and Non-Secular Spiritual Issues of Death and Dying” at Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, CT., September, 1985.