Health care provider faith diversity and peer review

¶ … Health Care to Varied Faiths

Spirituality in Health Care

Providing

Health Care to All Faiths

Providing health care is a challenging prospect. Compounding the challenge is the need to provide health care to individuals with differing beliefs from that of the caregiver. Nurses must recognize the multifaceted paradigm of health care in that the patient has spiritual as well as physical needs. Addressing these needs becomes even more complex when the spiritual beliefs of the patient are unfamiliar to the nurse. Discovering the details of the patient's specific religious affiliation enables the nurse to provide quality, spiritually-appropriate care. The following discussion addresses several distinct cultural perspectives on healing

Perspective on Healing

Native American Indian Spirituality

One religion with distinctive health care beliefs is American Indian Spirituality. The Native American patient considers illness to be the result of spiritual problems (Native American, 2008). Further delving into the religion reveals a belief that diseases strike those individuals who are out of balance with nature, concentrate on the negative, or live an unhealthy lifestyle (Native American, 2008). Healing practices focus on reestablishing balance, thus returning the individual to a whole, spiritually and physically pure state (Native American, 2008).

Confucianism

The followers of Confucius have a strong belief in familial ties (Cao, Chen, & Fan, 2011). These ties are more than simply physical in nature, but also metaphysical or spiritual (Cao et al., 2011). Maintaining a harmonious balance between the physical and spiritual is the family's responsibility (Cao et al., 2011). The locus of control in health care decision-making resides with the family rather than just the patient; thus patient autonomy is expanded to include these familial entities (Chen & Fan, 2010).

Judaism

While some ancient religions espoused the philosophy that intervening in a disease process was akin to heresy, followers of Judaism have regarded medical treatment in a positive light (Jewish Health, n.d.). Beliefs about health and healing in Judaism are based on the premise that life is entrusted to mortals by God (Jewish Health, n.d.). Therefore, each individual is charged with maintaining that life to the best of his or her ability (Jewish Health, n.d.) Some exceptions to pursuing good health exist insomuch as Jewish leaders do not sanction the use of experimental interventions (Jewish Health, n.d.).

Beliefs about healing in different cultures are generally accompanied by particular practices that are expected to support healing. The next section provides a discussion about these cultural components related to healing.

Components of Healing

Native American Indian Spirituality