When it comes to facilitating spiritual care for patients with worldviews different from your own, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
Topic 5 DQ 1 Spiritual Care in Healthcare
I perceive spiritual care as giving attention to the religious and spiritual needs of patients. It is mostly provided by different healthcare practitioners such as nurses, social workers, physicians, and chaplains. When providing spiritual care, it is important to not impose one’s beliefs on other people but instead provide them with an avenue to explore their spirituality even if they are ill. This means that even if one does not agree with the patient’s spirituality, one must respect them and incorporate it into their treatment.
I also believe that spiritual care is crucial in helping parents cope with suffering, illness, and even loss. It ensures that they understand their lives more deeply and can find purpose even if they are suffering. Many patients also need spiritual care as it helps them understand their relationship with other people such as family and friends (Hu et al., 2019). This way they can relate better and understand when they need to let some of them go.
My perception aligns with the topic readings as they focus on the importance of spiritual care in helping a patient cope with illness. By practicing spiritual care a patient can be content with the situation and be hopeful of healing as they trust there is a purpose in their illness (de Diego-Cordero, et al., 2022). However, while the topics focus on a worldview, I perceive spiritual care from a personal view and therefore might have a biased perception.
However like in the topic readings, I agree that spiritual care should be availed to all people not only those who are seriously ill. This is because it is a beneficial part of holistic care and goes a long way in improving patients’ outcomes.
References
de Diego-Cordero, R., Suárez-Reina, P., Badanta, B., Lucchetti, G., & Vega-Escaño, J. (2022). The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Nursing Research, 67, 151618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151618
Hu, Y., Jiao, M., & Li, F. (2019). Effectiveness of spiritual care training to enhance spiritual health and spiritual care competency among oncology nurses. BMC Palliative Care, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0489-3
Expert Answer
It is usually for patients to have different worldviews from mine. One of my strengths is that I have a deep knowledge of different spiritual traditions and religions. I therefore understand most of the patient’s requirements and beliefs. For instance, patients from native communities are grounded in their connection to nature while patients who are Buddhists focus on the karma effect. This knowledge ensures that I understand where each patient is coming from and further ensures that I can relate to them positively (Hu et al., 2019).
Additionally, I am respectful of different spiritualities and open-minded to learn other people’s beliefs. This ensures that I am not judgmental when relating to patients and that I can listen to them as they share their beliefs. Another strength is my understanding that I must be flexible in spiritual care to ensure that I meet the needs of every patient.
I however have some weaknesses that I need to work on. One of my weaknesses is that I have biases, especially in cultures that seem to be oppressive to some people for instance to women. I have been working on this to ensure that I do not let my biases get in the way of influencing the way I relate to my patients. Another weakness is that although I might understand the different religious and spiritualities, I am not willing to partake in the processes especially if they disagree with my worldview. This can greatly inhibit my relationship with a patient but I usually delegate them to a colleague who is comfortable with the process.
I believe that the patient should have the final say in ethical decision-making. After informing the patient about the situation, the healthcare practitioners must respect the patient’s autonomy and respect their decision (de Diego-Cordero et al., 2022). However, the patient needs to have an informed consent where they understand the risks and benefits of all their options before making any decision. If I was a patient, I would like my final say in decision-making to be respected no matter how controversial it might seem.
References
de Diego-Cordero, R., Ávila-Mantilla, A., Vega-Escaño, J., Lucchetti, G., & Badanta, B. (2022). The Role of Spirituality and Religiosity in Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review of the Scientific Literature. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01549-x
Hu, Y., Jiao, M., & Li, F. (2019). Effectiveness of spiritual care training to enhance spiritual health and spiritual care competency among oncology nurses. BMC Palliative Care, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0489-3
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