Clinical Nurses Forum: The Highest Priority in the Emergency Department May Be a Patient's Spiritual Needs

Addressing faith concerns is not often the highest priority for care in the emergency department, but faith is essential for many of our patients and their families, especially when death is near. Evidence-based guidelines are available that can be adapted by ED nurses to help patients maintain their spiritual health and integrate the hospital chaplain into everyday care. Addressing faith concerns is an intervention that helps to maintain hope in our patients, their families, and ourselves. Thus, it is up to all of us, regardless of our personal beliefs, to ensure that all the specialists are attending to the patient. [Copyright Elsevier B.V.]