This new edition, led by two prominent Professors of Nursing, explores issues of spiritual assessment in healthcare practice while adopting a lifespan approach and also including expertise from nursing, midwifery, medicine, mental health, children and adolescents, meaningful ageing, and intellectual disability. The importance of cultural sensitivity and diversity are explored because it is recognised that these are themes that have been neglected in discussions about spiritual assessment. It provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with a valuable resource that will assist them with identifying and meeting their patients' and clients' spiritual needs. The book, as previously, commenced by providing an overview of what is meant by spirituality, this operational definition is derived from the authors’ research and experiences in teaching these subjects to a wide range of healthcare professionals. The updated and expanded text will assist readers to engage with the conceptual and theoretical challenges and developments associated with spirituality and spiritual care. The book offers very practical insights and steps for introducing and advancing spiritual assessment in a wide range of healthcare settings. The adoption of a life span approach means that concepts such as spirituality, spiritual care and assessment can be better understood by healthcare professionals working in specialist fields of practice. Each chapter will draw upon up to date evidence to demonstrate the development of both the art and science of spiritual assessment. The book will continue to challenge contemporary thinking, asking for healthcare professionals working within a diverse range of care settings, organisations/institutions, educational contexts to evaluate their practice in relation to spiritual assessment. A primary goal of this 2nd Edition is to continue to advance thinking and practice in spiritual assessment by using a lifespan approach that offers insight into the dilemmas, obstacles, deficits that inhibit or prevent nurses and other allied healthcare providers from supporting clients and patients with their spiritual needs.
