American Indian smudging in hospital settings: a qualitative case study

Smudging is a spiritual custom extensively practiced by American Indians, yet little is known about smudging in hospital settings. To better understand the spiritual needs of hospitalized American Indian patients, we performed a qualitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional study, consisting of semistructured interviews with nine hospitalized American Indian patients. We identified four major themes: accessibility, role of chaplains/staff, experiences of the ritual, and cultural connection. Smudging is an important component of holistic health care, contributing to patient well-being and satisfaction. .