ABSTRACT

Kate works as a social worker in a hospital in a regional centre in Australia. Prior to this Kate worked as a trauma counsellor/social worker in a city hospital. Kate: What does spirituality mean to me? For me personally there’s an

element of religious background that has a significant influence. As a social worker I try to separate the religious component out of it, so from a broader perspective it’s where the individual connects in terms of their outer world. In a more rural community, it’s connection to their family, to their social networks and I think in this particular area their religious affiliations, for many people is a strong connection. I work in a hospital setting, and the impact of their current ill health, whether it is acute or chronic can also impact on their interpersonal connectedness. I find spirituality a hard area to define, it’s not tangible.