Healing Hospital: Spirituality in Holistic Patient Care

Introduction to the Healing Hospital Model

Chapman (2003) defines a Healing Hospital as being about "loving service to others" (p. 4). This paper examines the concept of the Healing Hospital and the role that spirituality plays in that model.

Numerous theorists have argued that advances in technology, pressure on budgets, and drives for efficiency over the last few decades have shifted the focus of attention from general caregiving to technological and pharmacological interventions — with an emphasis on extending life and fixing broken parts (Puchalski, 2001; Treloar, 2000). However, there has also been increased recognition, backed by significant research, that better outcomes are achieved when the patient is treated in a holistic manner (Baboni, Puchalski, & Peteet, 2014; Puchalski & Mcskimming, 2006).

Holistic Care and the Whole-Person Approach

The Healing Hospital is based on the premise of treating the whole person, rather than just the illness (Chapman, 2003). This includes all physical needs, as well as emotional, social, and spiritual needs (Johnson, Abraham, & Parrish, 2004; Puchalski, 2001). Sulmasy's (2002) biopsychosocial-spiritual model encompasses these different elements and is grounded in the ethical obligation of the medical profession to care for the whole person, including intangible spiritual elements.

By accommodating all these different needs, a patient may be more comfortable and healing may be enhanced (Chapman, 2003). Johnson et al. (2004) provide evidence for the benefit of controlling sound levels and providing privacy for patients and their families, indicating the importance of the environment and addressing social needs. Effective communication, collaboration between different caregivers, and the demonstration of caring behaviors have also been demonstrated as beneficial to patients (Schmidt, 2004). When combined through the development of hospital organizational practices that pursue the provision of all these elements, the hospital adopts the Healing Hospital context (Lafferty, 2004).

Spirituality's Role in Patient Outcomes

This approach has led to the development of the interprofessional model that provides for spiritual care (Puchalski & Mcskimming, 2006). Spirituality plays a major role in this holistic approach, as it impacts a patient's outlook and interpretation of events, as well as the way care is provided by caregivers (Sulmasy, 2002). For example, where there is a high level of spirituality, research has shown a greater potential for the patient to rely on their beliefs, resulting in lower levels of medication compliance (Kretchy, Owusu-Daaku, & Danquah, 2013). However, by addressing the issue of medicines within a spiritual context, not only will this increased risk of non-compliance be reduced — the patient may also be able to draw on their spiritual beliefs to support both treatment and recovery, increasing their psychological resilience and ability to cope with the pain and suffering associated with illness (Diaz-Gilbert, 2014).

When considering how and why this occurs, Puchalski (2001) notes that patients will have a large number of questions, such as why an illness has happened to them, why it has occurred at that particular time, and whether they would be remembered if the condition were terminal. These questions need to be answered, and they can be difficult for both medical staff and the patient (Puchalski, 2001). Physicians and nurses, with appropriate knowledge and training, can help patients deal with these struggles. Puchalski (2001) argues that true healing requires consideration of all the patient's concerns, and that there is potential for emotional healing even where physical healing may not be possible.

Conclusion

The concept of the healing environment has spiritual needs at its core, supported by both medical evidence for the beneficial role of a holistic approach and biblical texts. The aim is to support the patient, allowing God to work through caregivers and providing for the needs of the patient — both physical and nonphysical — drawing on all potential elements, including spirituality.

References

Baboni, M. J., Puchalski, C. M., & Peteet, J. R. (2014). The relationship between medicine, spirituality and religion: Three models for integration. Journal of Religion and Health, 53(5), 1586–1598.

Chapman, E. (2003). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America. Nashville, TN: Baptist Healing Hospital Trust.

Diaz-Gilbert, M. (2014). Spirituality, suffering, meaning, resiliency, and healing: Research findings and a patient's story of overcoming a medical challenge. International Journal for Human Caring, 18(4), 45–51.

Johnson, B. H., Abraham, M. R., & Parrish, R. N. (2004). Designing the neonatal intensive care unit for optimal family involvement. Clinics in Perinatology, 31(2), 353–382.

Kretchy, I., Owusu-Daaku, F., & Danquah, S. (2013). Spiritual and religious beliefs: Do they matter in the medication adherence behaviour of hypertensive patients? Biopsychosocial Medicine, 7, 15.

Lafferty, W. E. (2004). Healing, medical care, and health service organizations. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(1), 141–146.

Puchalski, C. M. (2001). The role of spirituality in health care. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 14(4), 352–357.

Puchalski, C. M., & Mcskimming, S. (2006). Creating healing environments. Health Progress, 87(3), 30–35.

Ryle, J. C. (1970). Practical religion. Greenwood, SC: Attic Press.

Schmidt, S. (2004). Mindfulness and healing intention: Concepts, practice, and research evaluation. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10, 7–14.

Sulmasy, D. P. (2002). A biopsychosocial-spiritual model for the care of patients at the end of life. Gerontologist, 42(3), 24–33.

Treloar, L. L. (2000). Integration of spirituality into health care practice by nurse practitioners. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 12(7), 280–285.