Reference no: EM133483036

During a disaster, people get emotionally distressed and it is crucial to take care of the emotional and spiritual aspect of the affected people to prevent serious complications from happening. People react differently to disasters, and it is the nurse's obligation to take care of patients even during a disaster, while preserving their own safety. Nurses can advocate for patients' spiritual needs by consulting chaplains to attend to all patients despite their spiritual beliefs. This is important because chaplains are not only faith-based, but they are trained counsellors who provide psychological support and comfort during times of grieving (Falkner A, 2018).

The community health nurse should provide the opportunity to grieve, verbalize fears and concerns because talking alone is the first step to emotional healing (American Red Cross, 2018). The expressed emotional needs must be addressed and any spiritual interventions requested should be done as long as the practices do not interfere with medical treatment and patient safety. Nurses should be available for the patient and familiarize with the type of spiritual beliefs of the patient so that they can support the patient through cultural competency. Christians believe in the bible and prayer as a powerful tool during times of distress. Prayer with scripture reading should be encouraged for those who believe, to allow God's intervention in emotional healing.