Religion: A Clinical Guide for Nurses

Named a 2012 PROSE Award Honorable Mention in the Nursing & Allied Health Sciences Category!

Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title!

This is an excellent resource for nurses to learn about the various religious beliefs and practices and ways to use this information therapeutically to enhance patient care. The consistent format of each chapter also helps readers compare and contrast the various religions. This is a must-have for any bedside nurse.Score: 97, 5 Stars--Doody's Medical Reviews

[Taylor] handles a tough subject professionally and realistically. I highly recommend this practical book for students, nurses, and educators.--Journal of Christian Nursing

"...a highly nuanced and insightful collection that challenges readers to consider at a deeper level their own beliefs about the role of religion and spirituality in health care and how people practice their faith within a complex multicultural society. This reviewer finished the book hoping that non-nursing health care providers and administrators would look to this text for an extraordinarily comprehensive guide to respectful negotiation of religious (including atheistic) differences in settings of vulnerability...Essential."--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

Religion is a significant aspect of human experience that can provide a framework for an individual's response to a health challenge or transition. Individual religious beliefs, or those of a patient's family or community, may influence health care decisions and provide a means for coping. This book provides accessible and comprehensive information about various religions, offering nurses insight into their patients' religious beliefs and practices and thereby enhancing therapeutic care.

The centerpiece of this book is the compilation of information about diverse religions written by highly knowledgeable religionists. The reference includes information, formatted concisely and consistently, on a religion's history and theology; views on health and suffering; explanations for disease; beliefs and practices related to birthing, childrearing, and dying; healing rituals; corporate religious resources for the sick; and more. Prefacing this information are chapters discussing clinical aspects of addressing religion at the bedside. These include strategies for sensitive and respectful communication about religion with patients, assessing a patient's religious beliefs, supporting bedside rituals that are part of a patient's religion, and understanding ethical and legal considerations. The book also provides a comprehensive list of additional resources.

• Provides quick access to information about the 20-plus families of religions most prevalent among Americans and others in English-speaking First World countries
• Presents practical and concise information about various religions in a succinct table format
• Offers detailed communication techniques for clinicians who are uncomfortable discussing religion with patients
• Includes techniques for self-assessment of religious views and values and how these can affect care
• Presents legal and ethical aspects of addressing religiosity in patient care

Elizabeth Johnston Taylor, PhD, RN, is an Associate Professor at the Loma Linda University School of Nursing, Loma Linda, CA.