Executive Instruction for Establishment of Spiritual Health Services in Iranian Hospitals

Spiritual care can alleviate physical pain and improve mental well-being, but has not been addressed in the hospital. This study was conducted to design an executive instruction for establishment of spiritual health services in Iranian hospitals.

A descriptive-analytic study was conducted in the form of designing a system in three main stages of review study, qualitative study and designing a placement style sheet. Data were collected using internal and external databases and six focused group discussions. Stakeholder analysis was carried out and the principles of design were formulated and were agreed. Based on the five main components of a system, style sheet of establishing spiritual services was designed in a hospital.

Principles of Executive instruction includes designing a comprehensive spiritual health services and integrating it into the current system, continuing care in mental and social dimensions, participating senior hospital and physician and nursing managers, evidence-based executive guidelines and emphasizing Spiritual Health Services as an organizational value. The expected goals of this instruction are to increase patient satisfaction, facilitate the recovery of acute illnesses and increase resilience to malignant diseases, reduce patient referrals, improve spiritual and religious status and enhance spiritual skills and promote healthy behaviors. The main process of spiritual health services consists of three main components of the evaluation of spiritual health by a physician, the implementation of spiritual health counseling by an elected counselor, support services including hospital facilities at the time of patient hospitalization and patient education at discharge and post-discharge support. Ethical Considerations: The objectives and content of the study were explained to all participants and after obtaining informed consent, the interviews were recorded. Participants were assured that information will be confidential.

Implementation of the designed executive introduction requires the establishment of political support structures, structural and operational dimensions, clinical skills and promotion of people behavior and culture. To establish the introduction, managers must capture the financial, human, equipment and information resources needed and pay attention to the feasibility results of the study.