An Interview and Analysis on the Assessment of Spiritual Needs

Select a family member. Be sure to focus on the interviewee's experience as a patient, regardless of whom you choose to interview.

Review The Joint Commission resource which provides some guidelines for creating spiritual assessment tools for evaluating the spiritual needs of patients. Using this resource and any other guidelines/examples that you can find, create your own tool for assessing the spiritual needs of patients.

Create a survey to assess the subject's spiritual need during the interview. The spiritual needs assessment survey needs a minimum of five questions that can be answered during the interview.  During the interview, document the interviewee's responses.

Submit the transcript of the interview. The transcript should include the questions asked and the answers provided.  Be sure record the responses during the interview by taking detailed notes. Omit specific names and other personal information from the interview. 

                                  Example of the Joint Commission

Who or what provides the patient with strength and hope?

Does the patient use prayer in their life?

How does the patient express their spirituality?

How would the patient describe their philosophy of life?

What type of spiritual/religious support does the patient desire?

What is the name of the patient's clergy, ministers, chaplains, pastor, rabbi?

What does suffering mean to the patient?

What does dying mean to the patient?

What are the patient's spiritual goals?

Is there a role of church/synagogue in the patient's life?

How does your faith help the patient cope with illness?

How does the patient keep going day after day?

What helps the patient get through this health care experience?

How has illness affected the patient and his/her family?