Spiritual Beliefs

In providing basic health care in hospitals, medical practitioners should not only focus on giving physical treatment to patients but also provide spiritual and psychological assessment and management for them. This practice as suggested by many studies (see Chapman, 2003; Eberst, n.d.,) can help the hospitals develop a new method of healing that is more holistic in approach. The Joint Commission (2005) recommends spiritual assessment program which can help the medical officers to know the needs of the patients aside from the usual physical treatment. It will help them

Spiritual care can significantly improve the physical and mental health of nursing home residents. Elderly people are going through a period of life that is set apart by the loss of ability, wellbeing, freedom, and companions. Religious and spiritual individuals regularly utilize their faith and beliefs to adapt to these losses, thus it is critical to keep on providing religious services for seniors who need them. Unfortunately after admitting to the nursing homes, the spiritual and religious needs of residents are often overlooked. (BRIA Health Services, 2016). The Joint Commission- a non-profit organization evaluating the healthcare organizations for quality states, "Patients have a fundamental right to considerate care that safeguards their personal dignity and respects their cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual values" (JCAHO, 2009). Tending to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, is considered to be a priority quality improvement in healthcare. A nursing home chaplain can meet the religious and spiritual needs of residents, residents’ families, administration, and employees. The purpose of this paper is to provide an executive summary of a project that is creating a position of nursing chaplain, to the Board for approval of funding of the project.

After having read the chapter and the PowerPoints, one aspect of Native American Religion that interests me is the spirit world. I am curious as to how it connects to a vast majority of their religions practices, since the Native Americans were polytheistic or contained multiplicity of gods within their religious practices. I was interested in how they connect this world as “Earth Mother”, who provides bounty of the Earth (Hopfe et al. 2016). The position of High God is also connected, but separate from the concerns of the Earth. These different spirits have allowed the Native Americans to not consider a High God as a personality, but rather a divine or sacred power that is revealed in humans, nature and the spirit world (Hopfe et al. 2016).

God’s word offers me great comfort by telling me why I was created, how I should spend my time here on this earth, and where I will go once I die. God’s word also tells us how we ought to live, but it doesn’t always give us all of the answers to our questions directly. When forced into a situation that requires tough ethical decisions in a constrained amount of time, no one knows for sure how they will decide what to do or what actions they will take, even if they have a strong values system. In such instances that require the use of the protocol, I agree to its usage. While it seems cruel to deny a dying patient the resources you are using on someone else, it is better to use resources wisely so that your efforts are not futile. God’s advice to believers is that he wants us to love and care for all people to the best of our abilities. John 13: 34 (New International Version (NIV)) says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. Since the protocol calls for at least monitoring those the hospital cannot immediately care for and as long as I give my best effort and rely on God’s guidance, my faith is supportive of the protocol. Ethical challenges arise when neither actions, decisions, nor options are ideal. God encourages us in Philippians 6b (NIV) to “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. In any situation we might be

Spiritual assessment and care of a patient at each medical or psychiatric appointment is an essential aspect of providing adequate care by all NPs. To be able to do so, NP must understand that spirituality and religiosity are not synonymous. Unlike the concept of religion, which defined by the online Oxford dictionary (2017) as “The belief in a worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods,” spirituality holds various definitions depending on whom you ask. According to Taylor (2002; who credits Reed [1992]) “…spirituality refers to that part of being human that seeks meaningfulness through intra-, inter-, and transpersonal connection (p. 10). Therefore, rapport with each

One's faith plays a crucial role in the healing process or when facing an incurable illness. As a health care provider, I must not be subjective to others' faith and believes. In many cases, spirituality and religion are related and intertwined to one's health. My priority as a nurse is to provide my patient with comfort and care and in order to do so, I must be sensitive to my patient's religious preference. Based on my own assumptions, families tend to get closer and spend more time together as a family member is nearing the end stages of his life. This is the time when the patient seeks some sort of divine intervention such as visitation from his church's minister or a representative from his faith. As a nurse, my duty is to be compliant to the patient's wishes if it is within my capability. I'm also going to be supportive to the patient as well as to his family during this emotional time by genuinely listening to their concerns while abandoning any judgments.

Health care providers are challenged with caring for patients and families from different religions, faiths and cultures.  It is beneficial for a care provider to have an understanding of different beliefs so that the care and treatment plans coincide with patient’s religious faith.  Creating individualized plans of care to meet the spiritual needs of their patients is necessary for providing them holistic care.  Research is presented on three religious faiths, and their perspective will be compared to Christianity; helping nurses understand and recognize the diversity between different religions and faiths.

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

cure. Hospitals not only have to meet the demands of curing illnesses, but also have to accommodate the spiritual needs and comfort of patients. Hospitals are generally built and organized in the effort to help patients gain support by having the opportunity to turn towards religion during difficult times. Hospitals in general have various religious leaders on call if a patient were to request them. They also have places of worship available to serve as a sanctuary for patients. These places are equipped with sacred texts from different religions such as the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita and the Holy Bible. As described in the article, “Sacred spaces in public places: religious and spiritual plurality in health care”, “These spaces evoked a feeling of sacredness of space and time – a sense of transcendence, immanence or connectedness in the everyday” (Reimer-Kirkham 203). This tranquil feeling can help to relieve the stress of the body, being proved to help the bodies process of healing, or in the case of terminally ill patients, helps them to develop a more positive outlook on what is happening. They are able to turn towards religion as support for the difficult time.

Lacking modern scientific knowledge, early civilizations created complex explanations to everyday events. These stories explained natural phenomenons like lightning, storms, earthquakes, the phases of the moon, and droughts. Natural forces, like wind or water were given names and attributes. Through storytelling people began to share creation myths that explained why they inhabited certain regions and their value system. Everyday occurrences may have been associated with a happy wind spirit or a blessing of the gods. Fortunes and misfortunes were attributed to the gods’ whims or moods. Polytheism, the belief in many gods was a common idea in the ancient world. Myths grew and became more religious in nature, sometimes with devotions or celebrations to honor the gods. Rituals developed along

Though many have the some of the same teachings, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity all have different afterlife's. I will start of first with the afterlife of Hinduism, in the Hindu religion there is a “heavenly paradise enjoyed by the souls of those who died with a ponderance of good karma but who must still undergo at least one more stay on earth” (ABH 456).They are allowed to stay in this heavenly paradise for only a certain amount of time before they have to go back to earth to perform the rest of their duties. After the person has finally achieved perfection back on earth, instead of going back to paradise they become reunited with the the Brahman, also called the soul of the universe.

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

The third part of the readings discussed daily living, the paths to salvation, the religious life, and the afterlife. What was intriguing to me was the topic on daily living. The weekly Sabbath was of great importance to the Jews since it was the only holy day mandated by God to be observed. Jesus Christ also observed the Sabbath, however he understood it differently from his contemporaries, which resulted with disagreements with the Pharisees who believed in strict observance of the Sabbath (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 86). In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus seem to convey the idea that the Sabbath was made to be a delight for mankind. The Pharisees implemented a lot of rules on the Sabbath that made it a burden for people to keep. Jesus stated that the Sabbath was made to do good for others and relieve suffering so everyone can enjoy the holy day. I found it intriguing that the Pharisees argued with Jesus over this matter even though he had the authority to say his Sabbath should be observed since "the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 86).

Spiritual beliefs relates to "a set of thinking regarding the bring with regards to, character, and function of the certain universe, particularly when regarded because the particular generation of your superhuman organization and even firms, commonly regarding devotional and habit observances, and sometimes comprising a new moral rule ruling the exact carry out and about regarding people extramarital liasons. " and "a distinct basic set of thinking and practices commonly arranged by several persons and even sects. inches

My church and the community that surrounds it has influenced my spiritual understanding by making me question all that I had previously believed. From believing that nothing could go wrong if you just believed and prayed, to everything and everyone who you associate this amazing belief with leaving you with more questions than answers. All of this has strengthened my spiritual belief to what it is today. Strengthened because it has lead me to my current belief in the spiritual world. Currently, I would consider myself a questioning and non-practicing Lutheran that longs to believe in the fairytale world that feels forever lost.