Spirituality in Health Care

Introduction 

Spirituality plays a significant role in influencing the experience of patients and their interactions with their physicians. A significant number of patients relate to a particular religion that shapes their beliefs (Leeuwen and Schep-Akkerman 1347). Indeed, in clinical settings the patients seek treatment and healing. However, healing originates from ability of physicians to appreciate the religious beliefs of such individuals. Actually, people believe that sickness is a manifestation of some punishment from divine forces (Leeuwen and Schep-Akkerman 1348). Therefore, giving medication without involving of divine powers may not work in restoring health of people. Physicians who understand how spirituality influence patient recovery journey are able to empathize with them and give hope. In some hospitals, there is a department of chaplaincy, which offers hope to the patients. The patients feel they have company and people care about their welfare and this influences their recovering. Actually, spirituality is an important component in enhancing healing of patients in health centers. 

Influence of Spirituality in Health Care

Spirituality involves some attachment to some kind of religious values that influences individuals’ self-knowledge, insight and knowledge of life (Nash and Yuen 1). For patients, spirituality provides support and foundation that influences their move from brokenness and dissonance to a feeling of wholeness and wellbeing. Indeed, healing is relatively different from technical healing and involves acceptance of the sickness and hope to recover. Therefore, spirituality forms an integral part of holistic approach at patient care and help the patient understands their illness. Through spiritual foundations, physicians are able to provide practices and perspectives that help face anxieties from physical experience (Nash and Yuen 1). It thus improves the mental function of patients giving them relative hope of overcoming their medical condition. Empirical studies shows that religious and spirituality approaches help physicians support health of their patients (Nash and Yuen 1). Some aspects of spirituality that are common include engaging of patients in religious observance and prayers. The process enables sick persons to have conviction of recovery through intervention of divine powers that they belief in. 

Individuals suffering from chronic health conditions often embrace religious methods as a way to cope with their situations. The spiritual support comes from church members or the clergy especially when they face physical pain (Nash and Yuen 1). In response to spiritual needs of patients, medical schools are gradually incorporating spirituality in their studies. The medical practitioners learn on how to offer spiritual care to their patients through communication practices. The training offers the physicians with capacity to acknowledge values that patients place on spirituality and different religious practices. Progressive recovery of patient relies on ability of physicians to provide appropriate conversation that relates to spirituality (Nash and Yuen 1). The involvement makes patients feel that medical practitioners care about their welfare and thus are able to cooperate in seeking medical intervention.  However, physicians have to understand some ethical boundaries on spirituality that affects their patients. Some of the issues include uncertainty about imposing contradicting spiritual views and religious conflicts. Actually, some patients do not consent to different medical intervention on basis of their spirituality (Nash and Yuen 1). Therefore, medics need to understand these values to ensure that they approach during health care is acceptable by their clients. 

Understanding the spiritual underpinning of patients is relevant for patients especially when handling values that drive patient to portray some behavior of seeking care (Zaidi 609). Awareness of such expectation and values ensure that physicians are able to know motivations that shape behavior of their patients. In order to influence experience of patients, hospital chaplains are necessary because they offer spiritual support to the patients. The chaplains are able to incorporate medical and spiritual approach thus enhancing recovery and healing of patients (Zaidi 610). Understanding spirituality is important in allowing medics scale their service in building trust and empathy that helps patients positively handle their medical conditions. Further, there are incidences that physicians encounter patients who have contradicting spiritual beliefs such as willingness to suffer through their sickness (Zaidi 613). It is the role of medical practitioners to ensure that they retain their commitment to enhancing health as they advise the patients. Actually, it is the role of physicians to challenge patients’ reasoning going against professional commitment in the medical field (Zaidi 613). However, such intervention needs support from a gradual understanding of religious belief and assurance that physician action is in best interest of the patient. 

Conclusion 

Spirituality plays a significant role in in influencing the success of physicians intervening in offering medication to their patients. It is necessary that physicians are able to understand the spiritual values of their patients to enable them respond to their needs. Actually, understanding such values allows medical practitioners to empathize with their patients and builds trust that is necessary in enhancing faster recovery. Patients want to identify with physicians that respect their beliefs and who offer hope during their recovering journey. Medical training institutions are currently offering training on spiritual care and introduction of chaplaincy to handle spiritual needs of patients. Embracing and understanding spirituality of patients continues to influence positively the healing process and treatment from physicians. 

Works Cited

Leeuwen, René and Schep-Akkerman, Annemiek. Nurses’ Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Different Health Care Settings in the Netherlands . Religions. 6(2015)1, 1346–1357.  Print.

Nash, David B. and Yuen, Elaine. The Role of Spirituality in Healthcare. MedPage Today. 2009. Web. Available at: https://www.medpagetoday.com/columns/focusonpolicy/14725 (accessed December 12, 2018).  

Zaidi, Danish.  Religion and Spirituality in Health Care Practice. AMA Journal of Ethics. 20(2018)7, 607-674. Print.