Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity
Introduction
As time passes, the field of health care continually expands and advances. When thinking back to the way health care was portrayed a few decades ago, healing pertained only to the correct administration of medical treatment and scientific interventions. However, it is now clear that spirituality relates to positive health results. In fact, society as a whole is more spiritually diverse now than ever before. Accordingly, health care associates must recognize that providing the highest level of patient care involves understanding different worldviews. By addressing these issues, it is possible to deliver spiritually fulfilling and respectful care for patients with varying religious beliefs.
Comparative analysis of Health Care: Christianity
Christianity is centered on the Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus, the son of God. The fundamental message offered by Jesus is of compassion and love. This message is astonishing to most people as Jesus instructs us to love our enemies, a concept which was not spoken of prior. Due to the loving and forgiving nature of God, Christianity still remains an excellent religion for all humanity (Comparing Christianity, 2014). Within Christianity, the Holy Trinity, God the father, son, and Holy Spirit, are the divine individuals and the Bible is the Holy scripture.
For Christians, God is the ultimate prime reality. He created the heavens, earth, and all inhabitants. (Shelly & Miller, 2006, p. 114).
Cultural diversity in the health care setting is increasing each year. Knowing how to care for patients of different religious and spiritual faiths is essential to providing high-quality, patient-centered care. The author of this paper will research three lesser-known religions; Taoism, Sikhism and Shamanism. Through this paper, she will provide a brief background on each of the three religions and present information regarding spiritual perspectives on healing, critical components of healing and health care considerations associated with each religion.
Prime reality in Christianity is the ultimate supreme God uncovered in the Holy Scripture, who is triune in nature, and there is none contrasted with him (Sire, 2006, p. 28). Everything is
Evidence has linked a strong relationship between spirituality and medicine. There is a positive correlation between a patient’s spirituality or religious commitment and health outcomes. A spiritual assessment as a part of a health assessment is a practical step to incorporating patient’s spiritual needs into practice. The FICA Tool and HOPE Questions provide serve to assist clinicians in the spiritual assessment process. By examining the research done using these tools, it has been determined that the FICA Tool is easy to use and provides basic data on a patient’s spirituality. The FICA tool is both reliable and valid. The HOPE Questions are
The United States has always been the symbol of freedom of religion and health care today has needed to increase its knowledge in incorporating the many different religions/spiritual beliefs in order to provide a more holistic approach to care. As health care providers we should not look in validating our own practice in regards to religion or spirituality but to comprehend and learn to see the patterns of similarities and differences in order to provide holistic care to our patients. As religious and spiritual beliefs are never permanent and are constantly changing and/or influenced by government, thinkers, historical events, technology and the shifting values of cultures the study of religions/spirituality should be continuous for all health care providers. The Native American, Buddhism, and Sikhism have some similar traits and values imbedded in their practiced religions that resemble the Christian Faith and medical providers needs to be aware and able to accommodate them in order to provide holistic care.
This paper provides a comprehensive look at the following faiths: Buddhism, Judaism, Baha’i, and Christianity. The reader will find that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion that focuses on the mind as being the creator of illness and health. The reader will also find that Judaism, Baha’i, and Christianity are all religions that believe in one God, the creator of all. This paper lists various components that each of these faiths may use at one time or another to effect healing including prayer, meditation, chanting, the use of healers, etc. This paper also defines what is important to people
As heath care providers we need to keep mindful of the care we provide to several different religious traditions. It is up to the health care professional to respect and understand the ideals that affect our patients and their family members. In this paper we will compare the philosophies of three diverse faiths. The faiths chosen are Islam, Christian Science and Buddhism, and how they compare to Christianity. We will learn about basic beliefs, spiritual perspectives on healing, and the components of healing such as meditation, prayer and other rituals they follow. Furthermore,
PTSUM is a Tsalegi spiritual elder among his people. He does not separate his culture from his spirituality or belief system. He was kind enough to answer my queries. He believes that healing takes place through both body and spirit. He stated, “ You have to have that spark within you to heal”. His culture believes that prayer comes in many different manifestations and is a very powerful tool for healing and to show the person that they are cared for. The fading spark can be become strong again with ritual and prayer. The belief that you have the ability to heal is the most critical component of his spirituality on healing. PTSUM does not expect his caregivers to believe as he
For health care providers to deliver the best holistic care that patients deserve, a thorough spiritual assessment must be included during their care. With more research showing a relationship between supporting a patient’s spirituality with their health and ability to cope with illness, it is now a requirement of organizations to include a spiritual assessment to maintain accreditation with The Joint Commission. The minimum required of a spiritual assessment by The Joint Commission is to determine the patient’s religion and
Christianity is a monotheistic (believing in one God) religion, which is based on the “teachings of Jesus.” Deemed the son of God, Jesus walked around town helping those in need and preaching the words of his father, served as a role model, exemplifying to others how to live life selflessly. His life was short lived, “at the age 33, he was crucified on the cross.” Christians believe that God sacrificed his only son for the forgiveness of their own sins, which they give thanks for throughout the year at Christmas, Lent, and Easter. One of the most prominent figures in the Christian church is the cross. The most important book in Christianity is the Bible, which they consider sacred and holy. It is a doctrine that holds all Jesus’s teachings, which have been broken up into 2 parts: “old testament and new testament.” In the Bible, individuals will find a set of guidelines (10
Different religious groups have different believe system in the provision of the healthcare. The health personnel such as doctors and nurses should be aware of the religious beliefs of their patients for effectively delivering medical care. In provision of medical care, religious faith and beliefs of the patient is incorporated with the scientific medical care in offering a holistic medical to the patients. The medical personnel should take into the consideration the religious belief of the patient in the course of offering medical care to the patient. The
Often times, healing and faith go directly hand in hand with one another. Every religious tradition has its own set of beliefs on treatment, healing and the general administration of medicine. While we take our understanding of healthcare and faith from the well-defined intersection of medicine and Christianity, there are broad variations in belief and practice that enter into the medical traditions and values of every religious denomination. The discussion here, which addresses elements of spirituality in healthcare treatment for adherents to the Sikh, Shinto and Buddhist faiths, proceeds from a Christian healthcare perspective.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative study of two faith philosophies towards providing health care, the Christian and the Buddhist perceptive. To prepare this study, the author will use several methods such as addressing in detail the worldview questions of both faiths and the implications of these beliefs for health care. Then, the study will provide the components of healing such as prayer, meditations, and other rituals they follow, as well as the spiritual perspectives on healing. In addition, it will address the importance and perception of how to care for a patient with a different cultural and spiritual belief. Lastly, the author will conclude the study by describing her own spiritual perspective on healing, what she
Spirituality is a delicate topic, and some may not be open to talking about their beliefs. Spirituality is generally understood to be an essential aspect of being human (Lyndo-Lam, 2012). Assessing the spiritual needs of patients is a key component in the nursing process. A compassionate and thoughtful nurse can make a patient feel more secure, making it easier for him to express his spirituality. The participation of both patient and health care provider is vital in promoting spiritual health. The main focus of a spiritual assessment is to gather information regarding the patient’s spiritual needs in order incorporate them into the plan of care, so as to treat
Spirituality is considered one of the components of health and wellness, and is a contributory factor in the delivery of holistic care (O’Shea, Wallace, Griffin, & Fitzpatrick, 2011). It only makes sense for us nurses to study and research spirituality since the nursing profession is committed to holistic development, which includes the spiritual dimension of life. However, elements such as time constraints, short staffing, insufficient formal education related to spiritual assessment and confusion between spirituality and religion have led to spirituality becoming a disregarded component of care (O’Shea et al., 2011). Adolescence is a crucial time in the development of a person’s spiritual path (Benson & Roehlkepartain, 2008). Findings showed that most adolescents hold spiritual or religious beliefs already and choose to draw on them when experiencing life-changing events. Despite this information, healthcare professionals overlook the spiritual needs of adolescents (Neuman, 2011).
Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most followers of Christianity, called Christians, are members of one of three major groups--Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. These groups have different beliefs about Jesus and His teachings. But all consider Jesus central to their religion. Most Christians believe God sent Jesus into the world as the Savior. Christianity teaches that humanity can achieve salvation through Jesus.