Religion in End of Life Care

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Through time, there has always been a question on the idea of another supernatural being, a greater power, or a God. People have grown up and been taught certain beliefs, and some have developed their own beliefs based on this idea of a higher power. There are then those who don’t believe in any such thing; they believe in the facts presented to them. As a whole, the specifics of this idea vary, and as a nurse, understanding of this must be achieved to successfully care for a patient. Hospitals are already known to have a depressing effect on patients, then added onto that are patients who are suffering from acute or terminal illnesses. Their pain in many ways, gets passed on to the nurses who have gotten close with them through the care, with the nurses then trying to reciprocate with comfort and support. Hospitals were developed from religion, emerging from the idea of helping those in need. Through time, hospitals modernized into what is seen today, but specialty areas have still kept the purpose for an improved quality of life then for a cure. These include hospice and palliative care facilities, which are known to support a positive outlook of life during difficult times. It can then be argued that patients turn to the idea of a “higher power” as support, strength, or a peace of mind, when facing the end of their life. This argument can be supported by the behaviors and ideas seen from various religious readings, and studies of hospice and palliative care nurses. Those involved in end of life care turn to “a greater power” for a sense of peace during their lowest, and hardest of times, similar to those in religious texts.
Historically, hospitals were created based on the Christian charity belief of helping the sick and poor....

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The New Testament. Journey of Transformation. Eds. J. Ranieri & Savastano. IA: Kendall. Hunt
Publishing. 2012. Print.
Tiwari, Subhas R. “Hindu Conecpt on Death.” The Hindu University of America. Apr 2006. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Vachon Mélanie, Lise Fillion, and Marie Achille. "Death Confrontation, Spiritual-Existential Experience and Caring Attitudes in Palliative Care Nurses: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis." Qualitative Research in Psychology 9.2 (2012). 151-172. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Wall, Barbara Mann. “History of Hospitals.” NHHC Articles (n.d.). 1-9. Penn Nursing Science. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Wessel, EM, and DN Rutledge. "Home Care and Hospice Nurses' Attitudes toward Death and Caring for the Dying: Effects of Palliative Care Education." Journal Of Hospice & Palliative Nursing 7.4 (2005). 212-218. CINAHL. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

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