140 Unit 2 BUILDING THENURSE–CLIENTRELATIONSHIPtant role in providing support to caregivers and was
a major source of solace (Longo & Peterson, 2002).
Because spiritual or religious beliefs and prac-
tices help many clients to cope with stress and ill-
ness, the nurse must be particularly sensitive to and
accepting of such beliefs and practices. Incorporating
those practices into the care of clients can help them
cope with illness and find meaning and purpose in
the situation. Doing so also can offer a strong source
of support.INTERPERSONAL FACTORS
Sense of Belonging
A sense of belongingis the feeling of connectedness
with or involvement in a social system or environment
of which a person feels an integral part (Ross, 2002).
Abraham Maslow described a sense of belonging as a
basic human psychosocial need that involves both
feelings of value and fit. Valuerefers to feeling needed
and accepted. Fitrefers to feeling that one meshes or
fits in with the system or environment. This means
that when a person belongs to a system or group, he
or she feels valued and worthwhile within that sup-
port system (Tanner, 2001). Examples of support sys-
tems include family, friends, coworkers, club or social
groups, and even health care providers.
A person’s sense of belonging is closely related to
his or her social and psychological functioning. A sense
of belonging was found to promote health, whereas a
lack of belonging impaired health (Tanner, 2001). An
increased sense of belonging also was associated with
decreased levels of anxiety. Persons with a sense of
belonging are less alienated and isolated, have a sense
of purpose, believe they are needed by others, and feel
productive socially (Dirksen, 2000). Hence, the nurse
should focus on interventions that help increase a
client’s sense of belonging.Social Networks and Social Support
Social networksare groups of people whom one
knows and with whom one feels connected. Studies
have found that having a social network can help
reduce stress, diminish illness, and positively in-
fluence the ability to cope and to adapt (Bisconti &
Bergeman, 1999).
Social supportis emotional sustenance that
comes from friends, family members, and even health
care providers who help a person when a problem
arises. It is different from social contact, which does
not always provide emotional support. An example
of social contact is the friendly talk that goes on at
parties.Spirituality Sense of belonging