Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Religions view on death
Death and dying in differnet religions and cultures
Faith and healthcare reflection paper essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Religions view on death
Religious Practices Surrounding Death
One of the most beautiful things about America is being in a melting pot full of different people, cultures, religions, ideas and beliefs. Culture and religious affiliation make individuals who they are. They influence decisions made while living and greatly influence decisions surrounding death. Death practices differ in each culture and often religion heavily influences these practices. In 2010, 715,000 people died in hospitals across the United States (Fox, 2013). As nurses, we will undoubtedly encounter death of patients and various religious rituals that will surround death. Examining different religious practices will help when encountering these rituals in the workplace.
Christianity is one of the largest religious groups in the United States that encompasses many different sects. Traditional Christian believes that “death is viewed as the entrance to eternal life and, therefore, is preferable to physical life” (Leming & Dickson, 2011, p. 126). Immorality of the soul, resurrection of the body, and divine judgment of earthly life will result in eternal life and repayments of heaven or the retributions of hell (Leming & Dickson, 2011). Numerous traditional Christians believe that the worst way to die would be suddenly or without warning. This type of death would leave no time to focus on repentance, receive Communion or a final anointing. Many times death may be postponed using technology or medication to increase the time for repentance and final preparations by the dying and family. Because the concern for final repentance is so important to traditional Christians, the amount of sedation chosen by the patient family may also be affected (Engelhardt, 2005). Christian believes allow fo...
... middle of paper ...
...and family than virtually any other health care profession. Nurses play a vital role in caring for patients, especially when going through the dying process. Nonjudgmental
References
Engelhardt, H. T., & Ana, S. I. (2005). End-of-life: The traditional christian view. The Lancet, 366(9490), 1045-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199033351?accountid=158614
Fox, M. (2013, March 27). Hospital deaths declined just a little over 10 years, reports find. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/health/hospital-deaths-declined-just-little-over-10-years-report-finds-1C9097214.
Leming, M. R., & Dickinson, G. E. (2011). Understanding dying, death, & bereavement. (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Ross, H. M. (1998). Jewish tradition in death and dying. Medsurg Nursing, 7(5), 275-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230517053?accountid=158614.
Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States, and the majority of them are Mexican in origin (Kemp, 2001). The Roman Catholic Church plays a vital role in the culture and daily life of many Mexican Americans. Consequently, healthcare personnel must become culturally competent in dealing with the different beliefs possessed by these individuals. Nurses must have the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver care that is congruent with the patient’s cultural beliefs and practices (Kearney-Nunnery, 2010). The ways that a nurse cares for a Mexican American patient during the process of dying or at the critical time of death is especially important. The purpose of this paper is to examine Mexican Americans’ beliefs concerning terminal illness and death, explain the role of the nurse desired by Mexican Americans, and discuss how the knowledge gained will be incorporated into future nursing practice.
It is common for those experiencing grief to deny the death altogether. Many people do this by avoiding situations and places that remind them of the deceased (Leming & Dickinson, 2016). However, by simply avoiding the topic of death and pain, the mourner only achieves temporary relief while in turn creating more permanent lasting agony (Rich, 2005). In this stage, mourners will begin to feel the full weight of the circumstance. Whether the death of a loved one was sudden or long-term, survivors will feel a full range of emotions, such as sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, hopelessness, or grief. While many of these emotions can cause serious suffering, it is important for the survivor to feel whatever emotions come up and deal with those feelings, rather than trying to suppress any
In 1969 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a psychiatrist, published the Pioneering book On Death and Dying. The work acquainted the world with the grieving process, called the five stages of grief. Kübler-Ross gathered her research from studying individuals with terminal cancer (Johnson, 2007). The first stage of the grieving process is denial. In this stage the person refuses to believe that their loved one is deceased, a common thought during this period is, “This can’t be happening to me” (Johnson, 2007).The second stage of the grieving process is anger. In this level the person becomes frustrated with their circumstances, a customary complaint is “Why is this happening to me?” (Johnson, 2007). The third stage of the grieving process is bargaining. At this point the individual hopes that they can prevent their grief, this typically involves bartering with a higher power, and an ordinary observance during this time is “I will do anything to have them back” (Johnson, 2007). The fourth and most identifiable stage of grief is depression. This phase is habitually the lengthiest as...
Societies frequently reject the use of euthanasia because of the way in which it violates ethics. This is a major concern in the field of religion; along with other religions and religious leaders, Willem Velema of the Orthodox Protestant Church was “fiercely opposed” to the idea of euthanizing (Boer). From a religious standpoint, this procedure is wrong because patients and their families can act as God by determining time of death. Religion teaches that God keeps His children on the earth for a reason. After all, God puts certain obstacles in one’s life in order to make them stronger; resorting to death is a sign of weakness. Euthanasia is also opposed by many because of the way people take advantage of it. In Belgium, where Euthanization is legal, the number of medically induced deaths “has been going up” tremendously (Boer). In fact, “it has increased by an average of 15% a year” since 2006 (Boer). As numbers increase, citizens become desensitized to the idea, therefore, viewing it as a viable option in the face of pain.
Americans at the end of their lives no longer have this sense of continuity and stability. Rituals today are as likely to include tubes and noisy machines, artificial ventilators and unpleasant drug regimens bringing as many unpleasant side effects as health benefits. Many times the dying languishes in a hospital bed, surrounded not by the comforts of home and family but rather by sterility and bright lights, strangers and hushed voices. Death is no longer a mysterious part of a cherished tradition but a terrifying ordeal to be postponed as long as possible, an enemy that must be fought off at all costs.
Seymour, J. (2000). Negotiating natural death in intensive care. Social Science and Medicine, 51, 1241-1252.
Johnson, Christopher Jay., and Marsha G. McGee. How Different Religions View Death & Afterlife. Vol. 2. Philadelphia, PA: Charles, 1998. Print.
Spiro, Howard M., Mary G. McCrea. Curnen, and Lee Palmer. Wandel. Facing Death: Where Culture, Religion, and Medicine Meet. New Haven: Yale UP, 1996. Print.
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. London: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Pankratz, Robert C., and Richard M. Welsh. "A Christian Response to Euthanasia." part 1. http://www. tkc.com/uturn/euthan.html (27 Feb. 1997)
The end-of-life nurse’s primary objective is to provide comfort and compassion to patients and their families during an extremely difficult time. They must satisfy all “physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual needs” of the patient and their family. (Wu & Volker, 2012) The nurse involves their patient in care planning, as well as educating them about the options available. They must follow the wishes of the patient and their family, as provided in the patient’s advance directive if there is one available. It is i...
The subject of death and dying is a common occurrence in the health care field. There are many factors involved in the care of a dying patient and various phases the patient, loved ones and even the healthcare professional may go through. There are many controversies in health care related to death, however much of it roots from peoples’ attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person has a right to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Health care professionals are very important during death related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that health care professionals give ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.
As far as humanity is concerned, death eventually captures all of us. We may be able to delay death, but eventually our physical life will end. As a result, some of the fundamental questions surrounding human existence include: What happens after we die? Is there life after death? Throughout history the great religions have provided answers to these questions. In this paper, the western religion of Judaism and the eastern religion of Hinduism will be evaluated through some of their many different principles and rituals relating to death and life after death.
Most of us might thought that doctors are equipped by their medical education with the ability to treat disease and the training to smoothly comfort the dying. However, in her book, Dr. Chen shares with us the ironic reality that thorough medical education and culture not only does not prepare doctors for inevitable death of some of their patients but shun the confrontation with death almost completely (Chen, 2007). When it comes to facing death, physicians are just as at a loss as the rest of us. Dr. Chen explores the phenomenon that doctors avoid talking about death among patients as well as themselves by sharing her clinical experiences. She was particularly inspired when she witnessed a break with tradition: one doctor tried to console an elderly woman whose husband is dying and stayed with her by the side of the bed instead of just closed the curtain and left family members along with their dying relative (Chen, 2007). That scene of compassion and humanity, in the midst of machine beepings and buzzings, was an excellent example to show what physicians can do when nothing can be done. And when a doctor opens to confronting his own fears and doubts, he will be ready to prepare his patients for the "final exam". Therefore, self-reflection and dialogue is something a physician can do beyond cure, and it is also what Dr. Chen really wants to tell us about.
According to Beckstrand, Rawle, Callister, & Mandleco (2010) “Death of a child evokes deep feelings of tragedy, devastation, and painful confusion at the injustice of a life being ended prematurely.” (p. 544) These are the raw emotions that are prevalent when a child is dying. For the child and the family, these final fleeting m...