N14: Spiritual Care: Help in Distress

Joyful image of a child with short hair smiling, captured outdoors in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Course Overview

CE Hours

3 CE Credits

Course Description

Spiritual Care: Help in Distress examines the diagnosis and treatment of spiritual distress in nursing and health care settings. This course explores Florence Nightingale’s foundational view of spiritual care, Govier’s five R’s of spiritual care, the seven nursing diagnoses of spiritual distress, assessment questions for identifying spiritual pain, spiritual care plan options, and the four languages of caring — body language, sound language, action language, and touch language. Learners will develop the skills to diagnose spiritual distress, treat it using appropriate interventions, and communicate genuine caring through all four channels of human communication.

Course Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Describe and use the four languages of caring, body language, sound language, action language, and touch language — to communicate genuine spiritual care
  • Define spiritual distress as a nursing diagnosis and explain its role in holistic patient care
  • Identify the five R’s of spiritual care, reason and reflection, religion, relationships, and restoration
  • Describe the five dominant themes of spiritual pain and explain how they manifest in patients
  • Identify the seven manifestations of spiritual distress and describe the nursing diagnoses associated with each
  • Apply spiritual assessment questions to identify the type of spiritual distress a patient is experiencing
  • Describe evidence-based spiritual care interventions appropriate for clinical and community settings
  • Apply spiritual care plan options to match symptoms, problems, and appropriate helping tools

Course Format and Faculty

Course Format:

Online linked resources and lectures available anytime, 24/7. Includes one multiple-choice exam taken at the end of the course. A passing grade of 75% is required. Upon passing, learners may print their certificate immediately.

Course Developers and Instructors:

R. Klimes, PhD, MPH (Johns Hopkins University) is a scholar and author in health-related research, health behaviors, ethics, end-of-life care, and overall wellness. He has written numerous research reports and books and has held academic and leadership roles in higher education and public health internationally.

Course Time:

Approximately 3 hours for online study, test taking, course evaluation feedback, and certificate printing.