Buddhists strive to maintain equanimity in all situations and circumstances. They tend to talk in a calm, even tone regardless the situation. One of many Buddhist philosophies is that, “hate and intolerance were for none, limitless loving-kindness and compassion were for all.” (Bogoda, 2005, p. 3) Practicing loving-kindness with a patient of Buddhist background would be highly appreciated and will open doors for communication between the patient and the nurse.
Space
Buddhists tend to find a lot of comfort in the spaces in which they interact. They are comfortable being close to those around them (Eisenbarth, 2017). However, typically they do not use touch as a means of connection and communication (Eisenbarth, 2017).
Social Organization
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They will certainly take advice from family members or more educated people, but when it comes down to making the decision it is all on that person. Failure to do so and pass the responsibility off to someone else shows the Buddhist to be a moral and intellectual coward (Bogoda, 2005).
Time
Time is a tricky concept when it comes to Buddhism, for they believe in eternal life. After one has fulfilled this life, they will die and be reborn again to start the next life. Due to this belief, Buddhists are more present oriented than anything else. They spend each and every day reflecting on themselves and their actions to try and improve into becoming the arahant. The arahant is the Buddhist view of a perfect person who has grown to the highest possible point of human evolution by manifesting purity and selfless compassion (Bogoda, 2005). However, being present-oriented doesn’t necessarily mean that they live for today, as it does in other cultures. That would imply that they are trying to get the most out of every single day and live life based on instinct and immediate gratification. These short-sighted values are not integrated into Buddhism because they tend to lead to tension and conflict (Bogoda,
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Death is a transition stage and is preparation for the next life that is about to begin.
Implication Two Since death is such an important transitioning period in a Buddhist’s life, it is important for them to be alert and have a clear mind so reflection and meditation is possible (Chan, Hegney, & Poon, 2011). This can be difficult, as dying is a painful and stressful process. However, most medications that are given at the end of life tend to cloud one’s head and thoughts, therefore tainting the clear mind Buddhists require. Buddhists recognize that pain is another part of life and if a person accepts the pain peacefully without distress, then they can achieve greater states of existence (Chan, Hegney, & Poon, 2011).
Nursing Intervention for Buddhist End of Life Care The end of a Buddhist’s life never truly occurs, at least not from their perspective. It is important for the nurse to acknowledge and respect the belief that they are not dying, but moving on to the next life. It is the responsibility of a nurse to provide the most comfort for any patient that is at the end of life stage. For Buddhists, this is achieved by providing the patient with a tranquil environment in which they can meditate and do whatever they need to prepare for their next
As a nursing student, I have had some exposure to death during patient care. My first encounter with direct death was witnessing a patient after attempted resuscitation efforts die in the emergency department. As I observed others reactions, I noticed I was the only one who seemed fazed by the preceding events and the end result, although I didn’t show it outwardly. During my Aging and End of life clinical rotation, I have been exposed to a near death experience with a family and I had the rewarding experience of forming a relationship with the patient’s wife during the short hour I was in their home. From reading the accounts in this book, it confirmed to me the importance of catering to the needs of the family and the dying as an important issue to address as they are critical to overall care.
Puchalski, C. M., Dorff, D. E., Hebbar, B. N., & Hendi, Y. (2012). Religion, spirituality, and end of life care. RELIGION, SPRITUALITY, AND END OF LIFE CARE. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/religion-spirituality-and-end-of-life-care?source=search_result&search=Religion%2C+spirituality%2C+and+end+of+life+care&selectedTitle=1%7E146#
Tibetan views on death are focused on nirvana and spiritual perfection. These practices are spiritually meaningful for both the living survivors and the dead. Works Cited 1 Geoff Childs Tibetan Diary From Birth to Death and Beyond in the Himalayan Valley of Nepal (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004) 41. 2 Ibid., 54. 3Ibid., 54.
Through time, there has always been a question on the idea of another supernatural being, a greater power, or a God. People have grown up and been taught certain beliefs, and some have developed their own beliefs based on this idea of a higher power. There are then those who don’t believe in any such thing; they believe in the facts presented to them. As a whole, the specifics of this idea vary, and as a nurse, understanding of this must be achieved to successfully care for a patient. Hospitals are already known to have a depressing effect on patients, then added onto that are patients who are suffering from acute or terminal illnesses. Their pain in many ways, gets passed on to the nurses who have gotten close with them through the care, with the nurses then trying to reciprocate with comfort and support. Hospitals were developed from religion, emerging from the idea of helping those in need. Through time, hospitals modernized into what is seen today, but specialty areas have still kept the purpose for an improved quality of life then for a cure. These include hospice and palliative care facilities, which are known to support a positive outlook of life during difficult times. It can then be argued that patients turn to the idea of a “higher power” as support, strength, or a peace of mind, when facing the end of their life. This argument can be supported by the behaviors and ideas seen from various religious readings, and studies of hospice and palliative care nurses. Those involved in end of life care turn to “a greater power” for a sense of peace during their lowest, and hardest of times, similar to those in religious texts.
It is found that nurses report that their most uncomfortable situations come with prolonging the dying process and some struggle with ethical issues by doing so (Seal, 2007). Studies have shown that implementation of the RPC program and educating nurses have increased the nurses’ confidence in discussing end-of-life plans (Austin, 2006). With confidence, the nurse is able to ask the right questions of the patient and make sure that the patient’s wishes are upheld in the manner that they had wanted, such as to not resuscitate or to make sure their spiritual leader is present when passing (Austin,
The end-of-life nurse’s primary objective is to provide comfort and compassion to patients and their families during an extremely difficult time. They must satisfy all “physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual needs” of the patient and their family. (Wu & Volker, 2012) The nurse involves their patient in care planning, as well as educating them about the options available. They must follow the wishes of the patient and their family, as provided in the patient’s advance directive if there is one available. It is i...
Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.
The nurse becomes the confidant, the guide through the darkness, a source of comfort for those experiencing the trauma of losing a child. To successfully fulfill these nursing roles, in addition to roles that must be fulfilled to meet other patient’s needs, one must acknowledge their own definition of death and educate themselves on cultural and societal norms associated with death and dying. It is important to identify one’s own definition of death and dying but also understand that one’s preference does not define the death experience for others. The individuality and uniqueness of each death experience means that one definition of death may be hard for one to accomplish. It is important to maintain an open mind, nonjudgmental spirit, and impartiality for the cultures and practices of others surrounding death and dying. A culturally competent nurse is not only responsible for acknowledging the cultural norms of others but also respecting and educating themselves about the death rituals of their patient’s culture and providing the family with as many resources to safely and effectively fulfill their cultural practices. Education is empowering for the nurse who is navigating the death and dying process. Education often supplements ones credibility with the dying patient and their family which can ease overall anxiety and further promote ones role as a patient advocate and provider of
...point of view, I do not mind or wish to impose Buddhism on them. However, by looking at scientific studies, I can conclude that Buddhism is very rational.
When preparing for death Buddhist generally agree a person’s state of mind while dying is of great importance. While dying the person can be surrounded by friends, family and monks who recite Buddhists scriptures and mantras to help the person achieve a peaceful state of mind. Buddhism asserts that all being live beyond the various fluctuations of this life. Death is merely a passage to rebirth in another realm such as the human world, a pure land or the flowering of the ultimate nature of the mind.
The study of Buddhism over the past century or so has resembled the encounter of the blind men and the elephant in many ways. Students of Buddhism have tended to fasten onto a small part of the tradition and assume their conclusions held true about the whole. Often the parts they have seized on have been a little like the elephant's tusks a striking, but unrepresentative, part of the whole animal. As a result, many erroneous and sweeping generalizations about Buddhism have been made, such as that it is 'negative', 'world-denying', 'pessimistic', and so forth.
The stages of death are known to be a process of mourning that is experienced by individuals from all phases of life. This mourning ensues from an individual’s own death or the death of a loved one. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross dedicated much of her career to studying this dying process and in turn created the five stages of death. The five stages are; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages may not occur in sequence and sometimes may intersect with one another (Axelrod, 2006). The reality of death many times causes a feeling of denial; this is known as the first stage. In this stage, people have many emotions and have a tendency to hide from reality. This reaction is momentary, but should not be rushed. The patient or loved one needs time to adjust to the awaiting death. This adjustment helps bring them through to the next stage; anger. Anger is a common feeling and many times routes from a feeling of not being ready. This emotion may be directed toward God, strangers, friends, family or even healthcare professionals (Purcell, 2006). In some cases, it can be targeted...
Yet, the dying person on his or her own may raise the question of death. The person has a right to know his condition. He should be free to accept or reject painkillers that reduce his mental alertness. It is a problem to counsel a person to accept death and perhaps make a will or any other necessary arrangements, including the donation of
Not only does the patient receive encouragement, strength, and support, but also the spiritual leader’s role is to listen to the dying person’s stories of life, dreams, visions, fears, regrets or guilt.” (Longboat, 2002) It would be difficult for a nurse to always be able to provide privacy for the many rituals and ceremonial events. A nurse still must monitor, provide care and give medication to the patient, this may interfere with the rituals. “Elders might be participants in decision making, as they are highly respected in aboriginal communities.
The life of a Buddhist monk involves a considerable amount of patience. One must go through an immense amount of training which requires a great amount of time to accomplish to become a Buddhist monk. One must also become familiar with the background behind Buddhism to fully understand the life of Buddhist monks. The restrictions on their daily life also allow us to visualize the life of Buddhist monks. A person seeking insight into Buddhist monks’ lives should learn about meditation in Buddhism to increase background knowledge.