Reiki training for caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients: a pilot program.

To explore the feasibility of a Reiki therapy-training program for the caregivers of pediatric medical or oncology inpatients, at a large pediatric hospital, a series of Reiki training classes were offered by a Reiki Master. At completion of the training, an interview was conducted to elicit participant's feedback regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of the training program. Seventeen of the 18 families agreed to participate. Most families (65%) attended three Reiki training sessions, reporting that Reiki benefitted their child by improving their comfort (76%), providing relaxation (88%), and pain relief (41%). All caregivers identified becoming an active participant in their child's care as a major gain from participation in the Reiki training. A hospital-based Reiki training program for caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients is feasible and can positively impact patients and their families. More rigorous research regarding the benefits of Reiki in the pediatric population is needed.

Doctors' attentiveness to the spirituality/religion of their patients in pediatric and oncology settings in the Northwest USA.

Research indicates that spirituality/religion is important to many patients and they want this to be an integrated component of their care. This study's aim was to better understand doctors' attentiveness to patients'/families' spiritual/religious concerns and the contributing factors for this in the Northwest USA as well as doctor's attitudes about referrals to chaplains. Study participants included 108 pediatricians and oncologists who completed an online self-report questionnaire regarding their beliefs about the health relevance of patients' spirituality/religion and their attentiveness to this. Few doctors routinely addressed this concern. Doctors who were Christian, did not expect negative reactions to inquiring, and were knowledgeable regarding chaplains were more likely to address spirituality/religion. Doctors who felt less adequate in addressing spirituality/religion and were concerned about patients negative reactions were less likely to value referral to chaplains. On the other hand, those who had an understanding regarding chaplains were more likely to support referral.

Spiritual care needs of hospitalized children and their families: a national survey of pastoral care providers' perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: Although spirituality is viewed as a vital aspect of the illness experience by most Americans, little is known about this domain of pediatric health care. The objective of this study was to profile pastoral care providers' perceptions of the spiritual care needs of hospitalized children and their parents, barriers to better pastoral care, and quality of spiritual care in children's hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted of pastoral care providers at children's hospitals throughout the United States, with a 67% response rate from 115 institutions. RESULTS: Respondents estimated that, among patients they visited, 34% were chronically ill and 21% were clearly dying. Half or more of patients were thought to have spiritual care needs regarding feeling fearful or anxious, coping with pain or other physical symptoms, and regarding their relationship to their parents or the relationship between their parents. Among patients' parents, 60% to 80% were estimated to have felt fearful or anxious, had difficulty coping with their child's pain or other symptoms, sought more medical information about their child's illness, questioned why they and their child were going through this experience, asked about the meaning or purpose of suffering, and felt guilty. Respondents agreed on 3 barriers to providing spiritual care: inadequate staffing of the pastoral care office, inadequate training of health care providers to detect patients' spiritual needs, and being called to visit with patients and families too late to provide all the care that could have been provided. Overall, respondents judged that their hospitals were providing 60% of what they deemed as ideal spiritual care. CONCLUSIONS: Pastoral care providers believe that the spiritual care needs of hospitalized children and their parents are diverse and extensive. With system-level barriers cited as limiting the quality of spiritual care, considerable improvement may be possible.