From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
PHI-413V Topic 1 DQ 2
From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education
This assignment aligns with the AACN Core Competency: 9.2
sample 1
One of the pillars of healthcare ethics is known as “Justice.” Justice relates to the action of judging if something is ethical, compatible with the law, and fair and balanced. This pillar ensures that no one is at a disadvantage in relation to healthcare. For instance, free prescriptions for low-income families are one action that was taken to align with the pillar of Justice (The Medic Portal, n.d.). This makes it where low-income families are not at a disadvantage in access to prescriptions.
Justice is defended by Isaiah 1:17. Isaiah 1:17 states, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed” (Bible Gateway, n.d.). This verse teaches the audience to always do right and to defend those that are wronged, or at a disadvantage. “Learn to do right” directs people to prevent oppression or circumstances that put people at a disadvantage. “Seek justice” relates to helping the disadvantaged in their journey of seeking justice. Defending them serves the same purpose, obtaining justice.
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References
Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Holy Bible. Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2B12&version=NIV
The Medic Portal. (n.d.). Medical Ethics: Justice. The Medic Portal. https://www.themedicportal.com/application-guide/medical-school-interview/medical-ethics/justice/
sample 2
From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
Among the seven pillars of healthcare, Justice is the one that resonates with me the most. In medical ethics, justice means deciding if something is right or wrong by checking if it follows the law, respects the patient’s rights, and is fair. It’s also about making sure everyone has a fair chance to get healthcare. For example, the NHS gives some benefits, like free prescriptions for people with lower incomes, to make sure everyone is treated fairly (The Medic Portal, n.d.).
Christians think that the Scriptures, which are their holy books, are the main place to get guidance about what is right and wrong. They believe that the Scriptures show what God wants and set the rules for what is morally right. According to them, the truth and what is right or wrong are the same for everyone. They call this objective morality, where there is no personal interpretation of what is right and wrong. Being kind and caring in healthcare follows the good values of Christian beliefs. Christians are taught to love others just like they love themselves. When healthcare workers use this idea, it creates a culture where they understand, are friendly, and show care to people. Another important part of Christian beliefs is about dignity, which means thinking that every person is made like God and should be treated with respect. Acknowledging the inherent dignity in each individual is a way of showing respect for what God has created. From a Christian standpoint, prayer is seen as a vital means of connecting with a higher power, namely God (Bogue & Hogan, 2022).
References
Bogue, D. W., & Hogan, M. (2022). Foundational Issues in Christian Spirituality and Ethics. In Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care (2nd ed., pp. 7–82). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/1000000000591/epub/Chapter1.
The Medic Portal. (n.d.). Medical Ethics: Justice. The Medic Portal. https://www.themedicportal.com/application-guide/medical-school-interview/medical-ethics/justice/
sample 3
From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
Compassion and ethics are involved in the nursing community daily. Compassion involves having empathy or concern for patients, including the desire to address the patient’s needs (AACN, n.d.). Compassionate care consists in helping patients find meaning in their struggles and acknowledging the role of spirituality in their lives. Its important to understand and care about the pain and suffering of their patients (McGhee, 2022). The concept of spirituality, which includes personal beliefs and practices, is seen as a crucial aspect of how people cope with illness and recover. In nursing, compassionate care goes beyond just relieving suffering. It means entering the patient’s experience and preserving their independence and dignity. Compassionate nurses build emotional connections with patients, listening actively to their health concerns and offering support during critical treatment and recovery times. It also includes respecting privacy, explaining procedures, and addressing patients’ concerns to enhance their well-being. Being compassionate helps with patient satisfaction, safer care, increased confidence, and coping skills. Christianity and ethical framework are rooted in the foundation of God’s character (Grand Canyon University, 2022). As it is rooted in the character of God, it’s rooted in us as nurses. Compassionate nurses often find more fulfillment in their jobs and feel more connected to their profession.
Reference
Compassionate Care. AACN. (n.d.). https://www.aacnnursing.org/5b-tool-kit/themes/compassionate-care
Grand Canyon University (Ed.). (2022). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision-making in health care (2nd ed.).
McGhee, M. K. (2022, November 18). Importance of compassion in nursing. American Mobile. https://www.americanmobile.com/nursezone/nursing-news/compassionate-nurse-the-importance-of-compassion-in-nursing/
sample 4
From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
Health and healing is closely connected to Christian spirituality and ethics. As I mentioned in my discussion post earlier in the week, it is very important to remember to take into account not only your own spirituality but also the spirituality of your patient. I believe that the values we hold ourselves to have a direct correlation with the way we go about caring for our patients. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Spiritual wellbeing has important implications for an individual’s health and wellbeing. Whilst the provision of spiritual care and assessment of spiritual needs is a vital part of the nurse’s role, literature suggests that nurses do not always engage in spiritual care with their patients or assess their spiritual needs”. This is not surprising to me because I feel like something like spirituality can be an awkward conversation with your patients.
Another interesting quote I found was in an article from the Catholic Health Association of the United States. It says, “The ministry of spiritual care can be a great help in this process of patients awakening to their deeper loves and longings before preparing advance directives or making decisions about treatment”. When thinking about the care plans of patients it is also important to keep in mind their spirituality.
Resources:
Harrad, R., Cosentino, C., Keasley, R., & Sulla, F. (2019, March 28). Spiritual care in nursing: An overview of the measures used to assess spiritual care provision and related factors amongst nurses. Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6625560/
Spirituality and ethics in Healthcare. www.chausa.org. (n.d.). https://www.chausa.org/publications/health-progress/archive/article/july-august-2000/spirituality-and-ethics-in-healthcare#:~:text=By%20listening%20to%20a%20patient%27s,a%20moral%20judgment%20about%20treatment.
sample 5
From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
Compassionate care involves integrating both the science and the art of nursing. It is an ongoing process in which nurses alleviate patients’ stress and enhance comfort by employing therapeutic communication, empathizing with the patient’s perspective, and practicing empathy (Babaei et al., 2022). The practice of compassionate care aligns with the ethical principle of Christian spirituality, where followers are taught to love their neighbors as themselves. Integrating this principle into healthcare practices encourages providers to demonstrate empathy, kindness, and compassion. Following this principle, I will remind myself to empathize with patients and view situations through their lens. Another crucial principle of Christian spirituality is the concept of dignity. Christian ethics regard each human as being modeled after God, deserving respect. Respecting humans is a form of respecting God’s creation. This principle encourages healthcare providers to show respect to individuals regardless of their health, social status, or circumstances. Compassionate care cannot be achieved if a patient’s spirituality is overlooked. Through the Christian lens, prayer is an integral part of connecting with a higher power, God (Bogue & Hogan, 2022). Therefore, when caring for patients who practice Christianity, healthcare providers need to be open to incorporating the patient’s spirituality into the plan of care.
References:
Babaei, S., Taleghani, F., & Farzi, S. (2022). Components of Compassionate Care in Nurses Working in the Cardiac Wards: A Descriptive Qualitative Study. Journal of caring sciences, 11(4), 239–245. https://doi.org/10.34172/jcs.2022.24
Bogue, D. W., & Hogan, M. (2022). Foundational Issues in Christian Spirituality and Ethics. In Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care (2nd ed., pp. 7–82). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/1000000000591/epub/Chapter1. From the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, what is your understanding of compassionate caring that informs your approach to health and healing?
