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Experiential Learning on Spirituality and Self-Care in Social Work and End-of-Life Education

2. Introduction. Increased attention on the importance of clients' spirituality and spiritual care in social work and end-of-life careQuestion of practitioners' perception on spirituality and their emotional and spiritual experiences in social work practice. 3. Part A. Spirituality.

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Experiential Learning on Spirituality and Self-Care in Social Work and End-of-Life Education

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    1. 1 Experiential Learning on Spirituality and Self-Care in Social Work and End-of-Life Education A Study of Cross-Cultural Focus Group Discussions using Meditative Activities Ha Young, Lee Ph.D Candidate, Flinders University SA frontsheetfrontsheet

    2. 2 Introduction Increased attention on the importance of clients’ spirituality and spiritual care in social work and end-of-life care Question of practitioners’ perception on spirituality and their emotional and spiritual experiences in social work practice

    3. 3 Part A Spirituality

    4. 4 Perspectives on Spirituality Non-theistic perspective Theistic perspective

    5. 5 Characteristics of Spirituality Relational Spirituality Practical / Engaged Spirituality Transformational Spirituality

    6. 6 Emerging Spiritual Issues in Social Work and End-of-Life Care Practice Spiritually Sensitive Practice Impact of use of practitioner’s Self on their practice Spirituality as a strengthening resource of helping relationships Spirituality and Ecology Inclusive and integrative education on spirituality

    7. 7 Practitioners’ Spiritual Distress Compassion Fatigue Burnout Traumatic Stress Difficulty of Finding Meaning and Hope in Sufferings Dealing with Loss and Grieving

    8. 8 Part B Research Design

    9. 9 Purpose To identify in the end-of-life care setting, social workers’ perceptions of the meaning of spirituality To examine causes of social workers’ spiritual distress. To develop social workers’ spiritual self-care strategies and social work education both in academic and clinical fields

    10. 10 Rationale End-of-Life Care practitioners’ exploring their own spirituality will strengthen effective use of themselves, especially in their perspectives and attitudes towards the spiritual care of dying people and their families. Spiritual self-care that is embodied practically is more likely to ensure regular self-care for practitioners in their personal and professional lives.

    11. 11 Demographic Features

    12. 12 Data Collection Focus Groups Discussions Individual Interviews

    13. 13 Focus Group Discussion Session 1 Warm-up Activity as a Spiritual Entry Using psychodramatic and meditative techniques, participants were encouraged to reflect upon their own personal experiences of loss and grief.

    14. 14 Activities – Korean Focus Group anger sorrow fear Anger about miscommunication, one’s limitation, incompletion, feeling of helplessness, unsolved traumas Fear about uncertainty, one’s own incompletion, imperfection Sorrow about loss and grief, hopelessness, loneliness

    15. 15 Activities – Australian Focus Groups Meditation on a dead person Imagination of a dead person and relationship with him or her Writing a letter to a dead person

    16. 16 Session 2 Discussion : Exploratory questions guided focus group discussion. They included the following: What are social workers’ feelings or impressions about warm-up activities as an experiential learning? What is social workers’ initial image of spirituality? What does social workers’ own spirituality mean to their personal and professional lives? What are the causes of social workers’ spiritual distress in end-of-life care setting? In which ways do social workers deal with their spiritual distress and take care of themselves?

    17. 17 Interviews In order to explore practitioners personal experiences of loss and grief as well as their coping process, 2 Koreans and 1 Australian social workers were interviewed.

    18. 18 Data Analysis Sophisticated Qualitative Data Analysis Software NVivo 8.0

    19. 19 Part C Findings

    20. 20 Meaning of Spirituality

    21. 21 Causes of Spiritual Distress Internal Stressors Unsolved traumas related loss and grief Attentive to clients’ suffering Empathizing with clients’ spiritual needs Disconnected relationships Concern with the impact of practitioners’ use of self Cultural challenges of different beliefs and values External Stressors Improper service delivery system Lack of understanding of spirituality in a team Poor professional and peer supervision Poor staff support and staff development Neglect to include spirituality and self-care in social work education

    22. 22 Spiritual Self-Care Strategies

    23. 23 Conclusion

    24. 24 1 Korean and Australian participants indicated spirituality was essential to their personal and professional lives.

    25. 25 2 Causes of spiritual distress differed. - For Korean Focus Group : An improper service delivery system, lack understanding of spirituality in a team, poor supervision and staff support, personal experience of loss and grief. - For Australian Focus Groups: Cultural differences in approaching a client’s spirituality, difficulty empathizing with client’s suffering, balancing personal and professional life

    26. 26 3 Participants endorsed the view that exploring their own spirituality was critical to their practice with dying people.

    27. 27 4 This study in offering the opportunity to reflect on practitioners own spirituality and its relationships with their personal and professional lives encourages a new direction for end-of-life care education on spirituality and self-care for practitioners.

    28. 28 Discussion

    29. 29 1 These findings from Western and Eastern cultures highlight the need for further exploration of spirituality from a culturally diverse perspective.

    30. 30 2 Participants saw the need to explore their own spiritual issues in dealing with dying and bereaved people.

    31. 31 3 A better understanding of spirituality within a multi-disciplinary team in end-of-life care would cultivate and strengthen individuals’ spiritual growth.

    32. 32 4 There are insufficient spiritual resources for practitioners’ self-care. The opportunity exists to develop them.

    33. 33 5 Professionals said that health services should actively support practitioners to engage in spiritual self-care in the end of life setting.

    34. 34 6 Professionals also indicate that their current education curriculum did not offer opportunities to develop their spirituality and to learn self-care.

    35. 35

    36. 36 Reference 1 Bash A (2004) “Spirituality: the emperor’s new clothes?”. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13(1), pp. 11-16. 2 Canda E & Furman L (1999) Spiritual Diversity in Social work Practice: The Heart of Healing. New York: Simon & Schuster. 3 King RH (2001) Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh: Engaged Spirituality in an Age of Globalization . New York: Continuum 4 Kiri AK (2005) “Spiritual cultivation for a secular society”, Sociological bulletin, 54(1), pp. 77-100. 5 Sheridan MJ, Bullis RK, Adcock CR, Berlin SD & Miller PC(1992) “Practitioners’ personal and professional attitudes and behaviours toward religion and spirituality: Issues for education and practice. Journal for Social Work Education, 28, pp. 190-203.

    37. 37 Thank you Ha Young, Lee (lee0662@flinders.edu.au) School of Social Work, Flinders University Adelaide, Australia

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