Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that spiritual distress was a common, unrecognized theme for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care providers.
STUDY DESIGN: An anonymous questionnaire form assigned to a data table in a relational database was designed.
RESULTS: 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.
CONCLUSION: 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.
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Kenneth B. Schwartz Pastoral Care Fellowship recipient, 1999.
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Catlin, E., Guillemin, J., Thiel, M. et al. Spiritual and Religious Components of Patient Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Sacred Themes in a Secular Setting. J Perinatol 21, 426–430 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210600
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210600
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