Running head: REFLECTION PAPER

Reflection Paper: Prayer and Faith

NUR 4114: Metaphysical Nursing
Shannon Ward
April 27, 2015

I have neither given nor received aid, other than acknowledged, on this assignment or test, nor
have I seen anyone else do so. Shannon Ward

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Reflection Paper: Prayer and Faith

The self-care modality that I choose was Faith and Prayer. I choose this modality because
my faith in God and the amount of time I spent praying needed to increase, especially this
semester. First semester senior year in nursing school has been said to be the hardest of them all.
Nursing school has been a struggle for me and I knew that this semester I would need to practice
self-care the most. I neglected practicing the self-care modality of faith and prayer while in
nursing school and it has affected not only my spiritual life, but mental and physical life also.
According to the holistic theory, The Modeling and Role-Modeling Theory, a human Person
is seen as a holistic being with interacting subsystems (biological, psychological, social, and
cognitive) and with an inherit genetic base and spiritual drive; the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts (Dossey & Keegan, 2013, p. 121). This means that neglecting to practice self care,
not only affects one part of a person, but the entire person. Another reason I choose this modality
is because I know it works. I have seen on many occasion how situations that seemed impossible,
turned out to be possible because of faith and prayer. This is exactly what I needed this semester,
a miracle, considering how hard the semester would be and my nursing school history.
According to Florence Nightingale, spiritual self-care is specifically important for nurses to
practice in order to support the healing environment (Dossey & Keegan, 2013). As a nurse I want
to care for patients holistically and be their healing environment; in order to do that my faith and
prayer life must be strong.
Faith and Prayer are not used alone, but include the other components of spirituality and
religion (Fontaine, 2011). Each component is connected to the other and depending on the
religion, one cannot exist without the other. Spirituality includes relationships, values, purpose,
and meaning to life. Religion includes ones beliefs, attitudes, and patterns of behavior relating

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to the supernatural being. Faith is ones beliefs and expectation about others, themselves, and
life. Prayer is a type of communication with the supernatural being. All of the components have
been shown to reduce illness and promote health. When considering the history of medicine and
religion, the two operated as one until about two hundred years ago. Hospitals were founded in
monasteries where the monks were the doctors. Many cultures still seek advice from their healers
regarding health and faith, but in Western medicine, religion and medicine are separate because
doctors are only taught that scientific data can prove medicine. It is said that some religious
beliefs of different cultures can cause more harm than good to people. For example, some
religions teach to avoid the use any form of conventional medicine. This can cause harm to an
individual. There must be a balance between medicine and religion. The concepts of faith and
prayer include the universality of faith, spiritual crisis, and twelve remedies. The universality of
faith is the explanation of how faith is present in all countries, and a part of all types of people. A
spiritual crisis is brought on by serious illness. During this time a person is brought to the place
of examining the meaning, purpose of life, and relying heavily on their faith to bring them
through the illness. The twelve remedies are twelve practices that promote health and well-being.
It is known that prayer works, but the question is how does it work. Scientists have developed
multiple theories trying to explain the phenomenon, but have been unsuccessful. Prayer and faith
are used as a treatment option. Some will seek advice from healthcare professionals that
specialize in this area, while others will seek advice from religious leaders. Also different types
of prayers determine different outcomes. The research available encompasses many different
opinions because there is no definitive conceptual model.
Faith and prayer are important aspects of my life. This self-care modality is important
because it has a tremendous impact on my relationship with God. The standards and values, that

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I strive to live by on a daily basis, are the product of my religious beliefs. I am a Christian and
the Bible is my guide for life. I have practiced this modality my entire life. From the time I was
born, my parents instilled in me the importance of faith and prayer. Participating in this self-care
modality has helped me build on the foundation that was set for me as a child, and progress in
every area of my life.
This semester, in particular I have gained a new appreciation for this self-care modality.
Throughout the semester I have been more relaxed than previous semesters. I have been able to
take each assignment one day at a time. My thoughts have been more clear, which has positively
impacted my overall school performance and everyday life. Personal healing was definitely
accomplished by participating in this self-care modality. My faith in God and the amount of time
I pray has increased tremendously. I have a better understanding of faith and prayer. My grades
have improved. According to the standards of holistic nursing practice guide, self-care
recommendations have been made that nurses identify at-risk patterns; develop practices that
enhance whole-person healing; recognize the individual capacity to heal; create a conscious
awareness and understanding of their purpose, meaning, and connection with a greater
being/force; develop understanding that crisis creates opportunity as they continually evolve
(Dossey & Keegan, 2013, p. 828). This quote explains everything I encountered this semester
while participating in this self-care modality. I identified what needed to change, practiced faith
and prayer as a self-care modality, recognized how I much I healed, gained a better
understanding of the modality, which increased my relationship with God, and gained
understanding that my struggles were all for a purpose. Before starting nursing school, I was an
A/B student. Once I became a nursing student, my grades drooped tremendously. The confidence
and mindset I once had was gone. Before entering this semester, I was determined that I would

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regain my confidence and previous mindset. After learning about this assignment, I knew exactly
what self-care modality I would participate in. The personal self-care needs that were met were
my confidence, mindset, and grades. My confidence has increased and I actually have been able
to apply the saying Go with your first answer when taking tests or in the clinical setting. The
mindset to accomplish anything I set my mind to has returned. Not only have my grades
improved, but I have received multiple As on several assignments and tests. This has not
happened the entire time that I have been in nursing school. I also applied and was accepted for a
nurse externship. Nursing school has not been an easy road, but with much prayer and faith, I on
my way to becoming a registered nurse. As nurses practicing self-care promoting life-long
health promoting behaviors is important (Dossey & Keegan, 2013, p. 828). This means that
taking care of oneself will not only improve your health, but also your patients. You will be
better equipped to care for patients. This motivates me to continue this practice. Also, this
modality has shown me that in the bad, and even good times, faith and prayer really works.
As a nurse I believe that there will be many times, that my faith in God and prayer life
will and can be used. The depth and focus of faith and prayer will be based on the patients
cognition and developmental status (Fontaine, 2011). Some patients already believe in faith and
prayer, which will make my job a little less stressful. I can encourage and remind them of their
beliefs during the good and the bad times. For those that dont believe in faith and prayer, I can
also encourage them based on my faith, possibly giving them hope. This self-care modality helps
me stay encouraged, give off positive energy, and the ability to encourage others, during the
healing process. The previous statement is important because as a holistic nurse, you are the
patients environment (Dossey and Keegan, 2013). Your energy is transmitted to the patient and

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can be a determinate of not only the patients mood but the healing process. Faith and prayer is
an important self-care modality and can be used no matter the religion.
This self-care care modality can be applied to holistic nursing and integrative health. A
holistic nurse cares for an individual mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A nurse
caring for person in a spiritual manner, should have strong spiritual beliefs. If not, the nurse
needs to know who to consult. As a holistic nurse, assessment is not based only on laboratory
results or the physical aspect, but functional medicine, modern medicine, and evidenced based
practices with traditional forms of healing (Dossey & Keegan, 2013). Faith and prayer is a
traditional form of healing. The Modeling and Role-Modeling Theory, a theory in holistic
nursing practice, expresses the importance of a nurse who practices holistically, realizing their
gift to their patient as being themselves. In order to be a gift to my patient, I must practice selfcare. In integrative health, healthcare professionals must recognize, regardless of personal belief,
that spirituality, religion, or both are essential components of their patients (Fontaine, 2011).
Avoiding these components as a healthcare means, failing to care holistically. Each healthcare
professional must accept and encourage many forms of religious beliefs. The whole person
should be integrated in all care provided.
Watsons Theory of Transpersonal Caring and Caring Science address caring as being the
environment that provides cultural, social, and spiritual influences (Dossey & Keegan, 2013).
Viewing the self-care modality of prayer and faith as a spiritual influence, allow the nurse to be
present in the patients environment. As a nurse, you must first establish a caring relationship
with the person. The theorys strength comes from providing caring interactions, which allow
nurses to promote health and wellness. After establishing a relationship, the patient should then
trust the nurse more than before, increasing their receptiveness on education about different self-

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care modalities. The nurse can share their own or patients experiences. Stressing the
significance of caring for oneself is important.
I would recommend the self-care modality of faith and prayer to anyone. This self-care
modality should not only be used in bad times, but good. Using this modality any time will prove
its effectiveness no matter the circumstance or situation. Routinely performing this self-care
modality will promote health and wellness. Anyone that participates in this modality, should
fully understand, and be able to incorporate it into their everyday life. Nurses should be sure to
incorporate faith and prayer when caring for patients no matter their religious beliefs or
background. The Modeling and Role-Modeling Theory, states that the nurse provides a
foundation for self-nurturance, self-discovery, and self-growth as a condition of holistic nursing
that becomes a way of living and provides meaning in life (Dossey & Keegan, 2013, p. 121). It
all starts with us, as healthcare professionals. We are responsible to promote self-care, which will
lead to an improvement in health and wellness.

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References
Dossey, B. & Keegan, L. (2013). Holistic nursing: a handbook for practice (6th ed).
Burlington, Maine: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Fontaine, K. (2011). Complementary and alternative therapies for nursing practice,
New York: Pearson.