Faith in Healthcare (Essay Sample)
The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people of a variety of faiths. This calls for acceptance of a diversity of faith expressions.
Research three diverse faiths. Choose faiths that are less well-known than mainstream faiths or are less known to you, such as Sikh, Bahai, Buddhism, Shintoism, Native American spirituality, etc. Compare the philosophy of providing care from the perspective of each of these three faiths with that of the Christian perspective and your own personal perspective.
In 1,250 -1500 words, summarize your findings, and compare and contrast the different belief systems, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research. Some of the questions to consider when researching the chosen religions are:
1. What is the spiritual perspective on healing?
2. What are the critical components of healing, such as prayer, meditation, belief, etc.?
3. What is important to people of a particular faith when cared for by health care providers whose spiritual beliefs differ from their own?
4. How do patients view health care providers who are able to let go of their own beliefs in the interest of the beliefs and practices of the patient? Compare these beliefs to the Christian philosophy of faith and healing.
In your conclusion, describe what you have learned from your research and how this learning can be applied to a health care provider practice.
This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
1
Unsatisfactory
0.00% 2
Less than Satisfactory
65.00% 3
Satisfactory
75.00% 4
Good
85.00% 5
Excellent
100.00%
70.0 %Content
40.0 %Comprehension of concepts of diversity of faith Reveals inaccurate comprehension of material and lacks the ability to apply information. Displays a lack of comprehension but attempts to apply information. Presentation of material does not meet minimal requirements of the assignment. Demonstrates no critical thinking aspects. Exhibits comprehension of the material and attempts to integrate it with outside material. Information represents basic thought and formulation surrounding understanding of varying components of faith across diverse religions and how health care providers handle those diversities. Demonstrates integrative comprehension. Student exhibits thorough and thoughtful processing of material. Evidentiary support is creatively interwoven and presented in a manner that demonstrates the diversities of faith, the role they play in patient beliefs and practices, and their importance in managing patients? spiritual care. Demonstrates integrative comprehension and thoughtful application of concepts surrounding spiritual diversity and circumstances involving application in real-world situations. Presentation of material and components includes expanded and unique perspective relative to similarities and differences of practices across various religions.
30.0 %Coverage of subject matter. Subject matter is absent, inappropriate, and/or irrelevant. There is weak, marginal coverage of subject matter with large gaps in presentation. All subject matter is covered in minimal quantity and quality. Comprehensive coverage of subject matter is evident. Coverage extends beyond what is needed to support subject matter.
20.0 %Organization and Effectiveness
7.0 %Thesis Development and Purpose Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing thesis and/or main claim. Thesis and/or main claim are insufficiently developed and/or vague; purpose is not clear. Thesis and/or main claim are apparent and appropriate to purpose. Thesis and/or main claim are clear and forecast the development of the paper. It is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive. The essence of the paper is contained within the thesis. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.
8.0 %Argument Logic and Construction Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the thesis and/or main claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources. Sufficient justification of thesis and/or main claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility. Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of thesis and/or main claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis. Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of thesis and/or main claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative. Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive thesis and/or main claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.
5.0 %Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction are used. Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register); sentence structure, and/or word choice are present. Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used. Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used. Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.
10.0 %Format
5.0 %Paper Format (Use of appropriate style for the major and assignment) Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly. Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent. Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present. Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style. All format elements are correct.
5.0 %Research Citations (In-text citations for paraphrasing and direct quotes, and reference page listing and formatting, as appropriate to assignment and style) No reference page is included. No citations are used. Reference page is present. Citations are inconsistently used. Reference page is included and lists sources used in the paper. Sources are appropriately documented, although some errors may be present. Reference page is present and fully inclusive of all cited sources. Documentation is appropriate and citation style is usually correct. In-text citations and a reference page are complete and correct. The documentation of cited sources is free of error.
Some points to consider in writing the paper for this week:
1. Make sure you have an abstract. This paragraph is like
a journal entry that would tell someone searching for a
paper about nursing and faith diversity, what your paper
is about. It needs to be on its own page right after the
Title page.
2. Make sure you provide historical background information
on each of the religions you are describing. The idea is
to write about the religion as if the reader knew nothing about that religion. So you would need to provide them with enough information that would help them
understand that religion.Then you can describe
their perspective on health and healing.
3. Make sure you have adequate reference support for all
the information you are including.
Student:
Professor:
Course title:
Date:
Abstract
Healthcare providers, even though their belief may be different from that of their patients, need to be sensitive to the patient to facilitate healing basing upon spiritual perspective. In this paper, the summary of the research of three faiths: the Baha’i faith, Buddhism faith, and Sikhism faith is provided. The philosophy of delivering health care from the perspective of each of these faiths is compared with that of the Christian perspective and my own perspective. Christian, Buddhist, and Baha’i patients do not have any problem with their health care providers particularly when they are permitted to practice their religious components of spirituality. Nonetheless, Sikh patients usually choose to be treated in Guru Nanak acknowledged hospitals since they believe this is where their faith is well recognized. The belief system of a patient is a vital component of the healing process; hence, it is important that health care providers understand the patient’s concept of healing when delivering health care to patients from different religions.
Faith in Healthcare
It is important for providers of health care to understand and appreciate the religious beliefs and preferences of their patients so as to be able to deliver optimal health care to them. In many health care facilities, there are patients from various races, religions, ethnicities, cultures, and countries. Even healthcare personnel who work in the same hospitals could be from different languages, cultures, and could have diverse beliefs. Healthcare providers, even though their belief may be different from that of their patients, need to be sensitive to the patient to facilitate healing basing upon spiritual perspective (Shea, 2008). In this paper, the summary of the research of three faiths that are less well-known compared to the mainstream faiths is provided. These three faiths are the Baha’i faith, Buddhism faith, and Sikhism faith. The philosophy of delivering health care from the perspective of each of these three faiths is compared with that of the Christian perspective and my own perspective.
Baha’i faith
This religion was founded roughly 2 centuries ago by Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah resided in Turkey but the spread of his message is thought to have began in the state of Palestine. The baseline of this faith is that human beings are actually a single race (Baha’i Medical Association of Canada, 2010). Believers of Baha’i who get sick should seek healing from health care providers and doctors. They believe in both spiritual healing as well as physical healing. Similar to followers of the Christian faith, believers of the Baha’i religion believe in the power of prayer as a major process for their healing (Baha’i Medical Association of Canada, 2010). In contrast to believers of Christianity however, Baha’i followers do not have clergies who will intercede or pray for them although they allow clergies of other religions to visit patients and read different Holy Books. These are the essential concepts that providers of health care need to understand so as to provide patients from the Baha’i religion with the best possible care. Generally, just like many people in the society, patients hold their own belief and faith in a particular mystic, divine being (Shea, 2010). As such, the process of healing for the Baha’i patient is also linked in some way to this divine being and this is what really forms the spiritual element of healing. Health care providers need to understand patients of the Baha’i faith in order to simplify their interaction and avert situations of fear or discomfort for the Baha’i patient. Baha’i patients also believe in peace and assurance in moments of pain; hence it will be imperative for these to be provided unto the patient (Baha’i Medical Association of Canada, 2010).
Sikh faith
The word Sikh basically implies follower, disciple, or devotee. The Sikh faith was founded roughly 6 centuries ago by Guru Nanak. Those who follow Sikhism worship one God who they believe to be the ultimate healer that actually works through medical science. Amongst the healing components for Sikhs include chanting the name of God and meditating (Fraser Health Authority, 2013). The followers of Sikhism hold the belief that meditation serves to trigger the body to naturally fight sicknesses by boosting the immunity of the body. Similar to followers of the Christian religion, Sikhs believe that God can actually heal through doctors or through miracles. Nonetheless, in contrast to Christians, Sikhs play holy music to the patients and cite hymns (Fraser Health Authority, 2013). At times, patients who follow the Sikhism faith see disease as God’s will but the sick person needs to make an effort to recover from his or her disease including seeking medical care and treatment. While managing or treating a Sikh patient, a key aspect that health care providers need to respect is never to interrupt a Sikh patient who is praying. Other vital aspects health care providers should observe include respecting the privacy of the Sikh patient, being open, and understanding for visits from the patient’s family members. It is worth mentioning that Sikh women might insist on covering their bodies with more than a hospital gown and being informed of their rights as patients (Fraser Health Authority, 2013).
Buddhism faith
This faith was started by Buddha who resided roughly 2600 years ago in India. Buddha, for nearly 45 years, taught his followers how to overcome suffering and how to live an unmaterialistic life (Bhikshu, 2009). Basically, the teachings of Buddhism can be summed up in 3 clear-cut phrases: meditate, do no harm, and do good. These 3 principles of Buddhism affect the life practices of Buddhist believers in several dissimilar ways and in all walks of life (Bhikshu, 2009). Buddhists believe that the mind is the creator of both sickness and health. Why would people get exposed to the same exterior conditions yet some of them develop particular diseases whilst other people do not? In answering this question, Buddhists assert that health and sickness are both a creation of the mind and they can be removed (Bhikshu, 2009).
The Buddhist word Karma connotes actions, and it indicates that the actions of people form patterns in their minds with the potential of maturing in future. These actions could be negative, positive, or neutral. While positive actions manifest in the form of happiness, success, or good health, negative actions manifest as sickness or problems (Bhikshu, 2009). Karma is therefore the creator of happiness and sickness. In order to heal present illness, Buddhists believe that they have to engage in positive actions. To prevent disease from arising again in the future, they believe that they have to purify any karmic negative imprints within thei...
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