SPIRITUALITY IN HEALTHCARE 5
Many hospitals are shifting theirprovision of healthcare from the biological and physical wellbeing oftheir patients. When care is provided in this way, physicians merelyperform their tasks as medical practitioners. It is very importantthat healthcare providers also act as healers, which has resulted inthe introduction of healing hospitals. Such hospitals integrate theconcept of spiritual healing by ensuring that care entails not justthe biological and physical but additionally includes considerationfor the emotional, spiritual and social aspects of a patient.
In this discussion, the essayexplores the healing hospital components, the intricacies faced inthe process of forming such a hospital and its biblical aspects.
Components
The healing hospital elementsinclude incorporating technology in a hospital, promoting radicalloving care and creating a physical environment based on healing.
Technology is an important healingcomponent. It makes it possible for hospitals to ensure patients’confidentiality and security is enhanced. Technology can also be usedto entertain patients for instance by playing music and allowing themto watch television during their hospital stay. Also, when hospitalsuse equipments that are technologically advanced, it fastens theprocedure of getting medical tests results. Technology relates tospirituality because it helps in reducing patients’ anxiety and inthe process enhances healing.
Radical loving care is achievedwhen the healthcare providers work together to not just providemedical services to patients, but also emotional and spiritual care.It relates to spirituality by encouraging physicians to not onlydiagnose and treat illnesses, rather in the process consider andrespect the religious beliefs of patients, respond to their needs assoon as they arise and be compassionate (Chapman, 2006).
A physical environment based onhealing refers to a peaceful hospital surrounding (Puchalski, 2001).It is achieved by making physical changes to for instance how thehospital is organized, including silencers in cleaning machines andcarpeting patient rooms. It relates to spirituality by resulting inan environment that is stress relieving for patients, which in turnfastens healing.
Challenges
The creation of a healingenvironment is impeded by a number of challenges. One of thechallenges is ensuring that all personnel delivering healthcareaccept the idea of a healing hospital (Aldridge, 2000). This meansthat all employees must consider every patient as their own, which isfurther complicated by the hospital environment setting where everyphysician is assigned their own patient.
Another challenge is financialconstraints. The process of making physical changes to the hospitalenvironment and incorporating new technology is costly (Aldridge,2000). Supposing that the hospital environment requires changes tohow it looks for example by adding carpets or machine silencers, thehospital will have to spend a lot of money. The barrier is that manyhospitals are already financially strained and may lack resourcesneeded to shift to a healing environment.
Biblical Aspects
Biblical aspects, which supportthe idea of healing hospitals, are apparent in some Bible verses. InJeremiah 33:6, the Bible associates healing with peace by statingthat when people receive healing they are able to experience peace.In the same way, healing hospitals create an environment wherepatients are able to feel at peace, which aids in enhancing theirhealth.
In Luke 10 from verse 30 is thenarrative of the Good Samaritan who helped a stranger that had beenbeaten and left to die. The Bible verse teaches about beingcompassionate to even the people that we do not know. In the same wayhealth care providers in a healing hospital should provide theirservices in manners that depict compassion and concern for not justthe physical wellbeing of the patient, but the emotional andspiritual wellbeing.
Conclusion
The success of a healing hospitalderives from creating a hospital environment that incorporates thethree components. Hospitals should also overcome barriers andcomplexities that impede the possibility of creating healinghospitals. It is important that all healthcare providers worktogether to improve the health of their patients in compassionatemanners.
References
Aldridge, D. (2000). Healingand medicine: Return to the silence.London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Chapman, E. (2006). Radicalloving care: Building the healing hospital in America.Nashville, TN: Baptist Healing Trust.
Puchalski, C. M. (2001). The roleof spirituality in health care. BaylorUniversity Medical Center Proceedings,14(4), 352-357.