Religious commitment in healthcare
Faith for some, goes hand in hand with caring and healing. Faith can be the only thing that carries a person through trying times. It is only until recently that society has integrated the mind, body, and soul in with medicine. This involves prayer, spirituality and wide variety of theological and cultural foundations.
Wounded healer
It’s easy, for most, to feel things such as compassion, or sorrow for the patient. But, what about the one that does the healing? As the healer has a professional obligation to the patient, he/she must be able to have a sense of oneness with the patient. The sickness of the patient has the potential to provide healing for the healer. But, first, the healer must submit emotionally
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During 1215 A.D., the sick was to see a priest prior to seeing a physician. During 1566, if a patient had not confessed his/her sin by the third day, they could not be seen by a physician. Some felt as though the physician was acting greedy, but there seemed to be more to this act. “There was a considerable notion that if the physician were to focus on healing the body alone, they could do immense damage to the spirit”, (Pellegrina & Thomasma p. 42).
Religious perspective on bioethics
Any Christian, practicing in health care, should follow the same philosophical medical ethics as everyone else practicing in health care. “Christians enjoin one principle such as the love of God and neighbor. One will not find a set group of rules or regulations, though. It requires only that any principle or ethical theory conform to the spirit of love and justice exemplified in the life, work and teaching of Jesus Christ”, (Pellegrina & Thomasma p. 68).
Bioethics, when combined with a Christian perspective, strives to keep an open mind amidst man. Selfishness tends to, however, push the areas in which the logic of gratuitousness comes into play as far away as possible. I believe society can make it very hard for Christians to do the right thing, but as long as you keep your mind on what is right and where your morals come from, it can be
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The natural community of healers are bound together by nonreligious values. Healers within the religious community hold themselves to much higher standards. They tend to go above the natural instincts of healing. Religious communities can find themselves in economic, moral, social and political conflict and their survival may be compromised. Unfortunately, a religious health care system can get caught between commitment and economic realities. “When religious communities of healers cannot accomplish their special mission, it becomes a problem for the whole community”, (Pellegrina & Thomasma p.
In the southeast region of the United States (US), at a local church is the location to address the practice problem identified in this design-only DNP proposal development, because the church lacks a FCN, who can provide healthcare services to the church senior’s citizen center. Van Dover and Pfeiffer (2011) explains there is an urgent need for a FCN, who can play an integral role by linking faith and health. For example, the ANA and HMA (2012) acknowledged that FCNs promote, and optimize health and abilities, aid in the prevention of injury and illness, and help parishioners in suffering (American Nurses Association & Health Ministries Association, 2012). FCN in this context can enhance better health practices and values of a faith community
It is estimated that around a dozen U.S. children will die in faith-healing cases each year. Typically associated with Christianity, Faith healing is founded on the belief that certain people or places have the ability to cure and heal sickness, disease, or injuries. Typically this “healing” is associated by a close connection to a higher power through prayer, divine intervention, or the ministration of an individual who claims himself as a healer. Faith has been scientifically proven in the field psychology to yield benefits to health. Although faith has promised a greater wellbeing for many individual’s lives, it has yet to be a significant replacement for medication many people but relaying on faith as a means for medication.
Well, that is what I would think if I were a utilitarian bioethicist. This breed of bioethicists believes in "ethical distribution" of medical resources. They believe that medical resources are limited and certain standards should be created to determine who should receive treatment and who should not. Utilitarian bioethicists do not consider human life to be sacred; they argue that "some human lives are have greater moral and social value than others and that the authority to set these comparative values belongs rightfully to their elite group. They also believe in denying medical care to the elderly if their illness would impact the quality of their lives, even if patients believed their lives were still worth living or in fact enjoyable." (Koontz 354)
Scientism is the view that knowledge of reality should only be gained or is best gained through the scientific process or research. This statement though sounds logical; it implies that something cannot be known or believed if it is not scientifically gained knowledge. Scientism is not science; it is a view about knowledge. Scientific statements are facts, but statements of facts cannot explain moral and ethical judgments that evaluate facts claims as being good or bad. It is therefore important to distinguish between scientific claims (90% of Americans think racism is wrong) and values (racism is wrong). Science forms a part of ethical or ought statements but these statements goes beyond what science offers. Not making this distinction leads to the fallacy of obtaining an ought from an is. Relativism is another viewpoint that upholds that there is no concept such as “the ultimate truth” and every belief or knowledge is relative to how it is perceived by an individual or culture. For, example things that Americans value or prioritize like independence or equality might be irrelevant in another culture. The adverse effects of concepts such as scientism and relativism has led to nonscientific claims being trivialized in the healthcare system. However new interest has been generated in spirituality in the healthcare system and Duke University has formed a center in 1998 to promote religion and spirituality in health through research (Grand Canyon University, 2015). This in my opinion is a much needed venture resolve these tensions as the Bible reminds us that in the last days even the elect may be
Even though skills along with knowledge are key components of nursing, in my opinion, compassion is crucial to the practice. Nursing is a public service and commitment that takes an irrefutable desire to help people in need, When I enter the field, even as a student, my standpoint will always be to treat my patients how I would want an individual to treat my family. Henderson’s concept of holistic care fits together with my beliefs about what nursing embodies. In practice, my goals are to always view each patient as an individual, center my care on the patient and their varying needs be it personal, emotional, or physical, and to encourage patients to be active in their care in hopes of improving outcomes. I will also strive to bring colleagues together and collaborate with them to provide the best care for our patients.
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small. In particular, the roots of Native American Medicine men (often a woman in some cultures) may be traced back to ancient times referred to as Shaman. A special type of healer used by the Indians is referred to as a medicine man (comes from the French word medecin, meaning doctor).
Ross defines and differentiates between the terms healing and curing. She recognizes the fact that healing and curing are very intertwined and it can be hard to distinguish between the two terms. There are differences between the definitions in scholarly and general settings. She references an ethnographic study of healing versus curing conducted by anthropologists Andrew Strathern and Pamela Stewart in 1999 with native groups in New Guinea. The results of the study looked at how energy used by the different types of tribal healers to either cure or heal a patient. Eastern medicine focuses on how energy interacts with the healing process in connection within the mind. Whereas Western medicine is focused on the mind and the body separately. The practice is considered a holistic approach to finding cures. According to Ross (2013), healing is more a therapeutic process targeting the whole body and specific illness including emotional, mental, and social aspects in the treatment. The act of curing is a pragmatic approach that focuses on removing the problem all together. The life experiences of a person playing into how well certain treatments will heal or cure what is ailing them. These aspects can not be defined with textbook definitions. The interaction that the healing process has with energy is a variable in the success rate. Uncontrolled emotions can have a greater impact on the inside the body than a person can realize. The exploration of energy interaction within the body can be used for greater analysis of health care systems. (21-22). Are Western healthcare facilities purposely “curing” patients just so that they return are few years later? Is Western Medicine built upon a negative feedback loop? The terminolo...
Throughout history, it seems that medicine and spirituality have been linked in many circumstances. In a study looking at the use of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac patients, spiritual healing was one of many practices patient sought to utilize. In another study, 29% of participants chose to use prayer or premeditation as a way to cope with their chronic illness. In both studies, prayer or meditation was more likely to be used by individuals who had a large social network, as well as support from another person in the same health situation. Based on these studies, it seems that many individuals (not just cardiovascular patients) turn to their spirituality in times of health distress.
I am grateful to be at an institution of higher learning that understands and respects faith. My philosophy of nursing cannot be explained without God and Jesus. They are a part of each one of us. The reason that someone goes into a healthcare professional is usually to favorably treat a patient’s health. Spirituality of mind and body cannot be separated completely in my nursing philosophy. In this vein, nursing cannot be wholly separated from faith.
Pain and suffering is something that we all would like to never experience in life, but is something that is inevitable. “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?” is a question that haunts humanity. Mother Teresa once said that, “Suffering is a gift of God.” Nevertheless, we would all like to go without it. In the clinical setting, pain and suffering are two words that are used in conjunction. “The Wound Dresser,” by Walt Whitman and “The Nature of Suffering and Goals of Medicine,” by Eric J Cassel addresses the issue of pain and suffering in the individual, and how caregivers should care for those suffering.
As we in become more evolved as a nation one of the problem that needs to be address is how to response to diverse faith within our healthcare practices. This essay serves to compare these three different religious philosophies: Yoruba, Hinduism (karma) and Buddhism, to a Christian’s perspective. These religions have wide perspectives but one will key in on health management and what to expect from healthcare point of view while caring for these patients.
The different ailments can contribute not only to transform our physical health, but also to facilitate healing at a deeper level. The secret lies in
In healthcare organizations, medical staff must conform to their hospital and their country’s code of conduct. Not only do they have to meet set standards, they must also take their patient into consideration. When making a decision upon a patient, medical staff must recognize religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. By understanding a patients’ beliefs and their belief system, a medical worker can give the patient their deserved medical assistance without overstepping boundaries or coming off as offensive. The practices and beliefs of four religions will be articulated throughout this essay to fully understand how religion can either help or hinder the healing process.
Bioethics is a reflection of controversial moral choices or decisions pertaining to medical and healthcare fields. There have always been ethical standards in healthcare handed down within each profession. Although ethical decisions of the past were followed without question, bioethics today is constantly debated among those in the medical field, the general public, and those in governmental positions. Technological advances within the last century have opened the door to discussion about the ethics surrounding the last medical and technological advances. The decisions are influenced by culture, religion, philosophy, and personal preference. Bioethical decisions are always open for questioning. It is even possible for issues to be ethical during one decade and upon review, deemed unethical several years later. It is the job of the medical community and the public to question these issues, debate them, and accept or reject them. Although there have been hundreds of people who have influenced bioethics through their technological advances, Sir Robert Edwards’ invitro- fertilization techniques have changed the way many women today can become a mother.
Testerman, J. K. (1997, June). Spirituality vs religion: Implications for healthcare. Retrieved May 22, 2011, from http://www.aiias.edu/ict/vol_19.19cc_283-297.pdf