Case Study, Chapter 12, Assessing Spirituality and Religious Practices

A 52-year-old client is in the terminal stage of leukemia. The client has been married for 25

years. He and his wife have three children, ages 15, 18, and 22. One child is graduating from

high school, and the 22 year old is graduating from college. The client and his brother are co-

owners of a family hardware business that has been in the family for 60 years. The client was

diagnosed with leukemia 10 years ago and has been receiving treatments during reoccurrences

since then. He has always been optimistic, but, for the last 2 years, the treatments have not been

as successful as in the past. His symptoms have exacerbated and return shortly after the

treatments. The physician has told him that, unfortunately, further treatments are to no avail. The

client is distressed and in denial of the fact that life is short. He has become depressed because he

is concerned about what will happen to his family and his business. The client does not want to

visit family members or friends. He has always been a firm believer in God and believes that the

illness is God’s punishment for wrong deeds. While trying to reassure the client, the nurse tells

him that God does not punish.

(Learning Objectives: 1, 3, 4)

Questions:

a. Based on your understanding of spirituality and religion, what could the nurse have
done to reassure this client?

b. What measures should nurses take to increase their religious and spiritual competency?