Addressing Children's Beliefs Through Fowler's Stages of Faith

Knowledge of child development, including faith development, is important in providing holistic care to the child. Pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners may be inadequately prepared to meet the spiritual needs of children in developmentally appropriate ways. This article demonstrates why it is necessary to asses a child's or an adolescent's religious and spiritual beliefs and when and how a nurse intervenes. Modeled here is one way in which pediatric nurses can effectively combine their knowledge of child development and Fowler's theory of faith development to address the child and adolescent's spiritual needs.