Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Religion and medical ethics
Religion and medical ethics
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Religion and medical ethics
After taking Religion and Healthcare, I believe I gained a better understanding of the world around me in both, the healthcare setting and in a religious aspect. I think that the main ideas, skills, and information I have obtained through this course will be applicable to my personal and professional life. Understanding how mythic, symbolic, and ritual factors influence human experiences of suffering, health, and healthcare has definitely been a real eye opening experience. Understanding religion and how it does apply to modern and historic medicine is vital to the healthcare and religious communities. I believe, that regardless of your religious practices it is important to educate yourself on other religions so that as an individual you can reach out, relate, and support those with all different backgrounds. This course introduced me to many informational journals, books, and movies that have changed my views on suffering …show more content…
I can say with confidence that all my goals were reached. The materials presented in this course varied, from books to films to guest speakers from all over the world. The material presented related to myths, symbols, and rituals; the way in which each individual connected the material to course concepts was completely up to the individual. I will continue to explore the scientific point of view, as it applies to God and the formation of Earth. After, learning about the Dax’s case I was really shocked that I had not learned of patients’ ordeals. May’s book introduced me to the four principles healthcare providers should follow. I realized after each book, journal, or film we were presented with, that I could relate it back to course, and each story help me better understand how religion and healthcare co-inside with one
Paganism is a belief system that holds to the ideology of the existence of gods and goddesses, which the Pagans believe affect and interact with one?s daily life. Most pagans hold to a polytheistic view of theology. Some pagans choose to worship a pantheon of deities, while other seek to have a more intimate and personal relationship with only one of their gods. They hold to the view that their gods embody certain attributes such as strength, love and intellect. Some modern Pagans define their spiritual beliefs and practices as being ?Earth-based.? You will often hear the
Christian Church's Influence on the Medical Progress The Christian Church was very powerful and had influence on many things which you wouldn't imagine they would have, one being medicine. The Church mainly hindered medical progress but we will see how it did and see if it helped medicine in any ways. When it came to developing new medical ideas the Church hindered its progression. An example of this is when Roger Bacon, a 13th century priest, was imprisoned for heresy after he suggested that there should be a new approach to medicine and original research should be thought of instead of using old ideas such as Galen's.
Although only a small percentage of children are dying from faith-healing practices, the awareness needs to be brought to the public. Faith in a religion has many benefits but the idea of abandoning medicine is bad for ones wellbeing. Precautionary signs of illness in infants must be treated immediately. Medicine alongside faith is the ideal situation in which many lives will be saved. Holding faith has proven to be positive for many people but one must take cautionary action when treating illnesses with faith healing as their only medicine. Faith healing and medicine collectively used with one another can yield the highest rates of recovery and general wellbeing, through reducing stress, relieving pain and anxiety, and increasing the desire to live. When the human body is able to release these stressors, one’s health has an increased rate of being cured.
With a New York bestseller book (The Language of God) already under his belt, Dr. Collins is no stranger to the book writing process. The second to a series of books named “The language of…”; “The Language of Life” is the first one to focus on the theme of personalized medicine in the modern world. Both “The language of God” and “The Language of Science and Faith” focus on reconciliate science and religion, from a scientist stand point.
Acupuncture, ayurveda, chiropractice, homeopathy, meditation, osteopathy, and yoga are just a few of the many types of medicine practiced all over the world. According to the western establishment, all these forms of medicine are called alternative medicines. However, some of the aforementioned techniques have been in continuous use for over six thousand years, predating western medicine by over four thousand years. Yet, still many M.D.'s reject alternative forms of medicine. One of the buzzwords in medicine in recent years has been "holistic medicine". Physicians are becoming more aware of the need to treat the whole patient rather than just certain symptoms. Due to this realization, a small percentage of doctors are turning to ancient forms of medicine as a guide to alternative treatments. As alternative forms of medicine emerge in the western world, Christian scientists need to determine the moral, religious, and scientific validity of such techniques in order to gain a more holistic approach to medicine.
In today’s society, it is very important for the healthcare professional to be educated about the culture of their patients. It can be seen that the number of patients who are Muslim are increasing throughout the healthcare system. It is challenging for healthcare workers to care for the needs of Muslim patients when they don’t understand their cultural beliefs. Muslims don’t necessarily have the same health beliefs, outcomes, or priorities that their providers have, therefore making it more difficult to come to a final healthcare decision (Al-Oraibi, 2009.) “This intercultural gap in understanding between clients and providers may result in poor care services and low levels of satisfaction” (Al-Oraibi, 2009.) Muslims are not being properly accommodated in healthcare settings because of a lack of education from healthcare workers about the Muslim culture and religion.
In conclusion, it is important to study religion off campus as Smart (1994) has said one must “walk a mile in [the] moccasins [of religious people]” in order to gain a real understanding of how belief has an impact on people and how it motivates people to live their lives, this cannot be obtained through textbooks or media reports. It is how Harvey (2013) suggests that belief has to be learnt and is enacted by others through witnessing, speaking, reading, ritualising, congregation and acceptance. Studying off campus does not mean challenging the traditional understanding of religion. Historical and textual books should still be used to provide foundation knowledge but one must go beyond this and engage with living religions in order to obtain a rich first-hand experience.
When one initially chooses a career path, one rarely looks at all the negatives that may be associated with that choice. Most career paths have some negatives associated with the field, but few face the moral dilemmas associated with modern healthcare. Those who choose to be in the healthcare profession today are faced with moral and ethical dilemmas that would make King Solomon tear his hair out. In many cases, doctors, and sometimes nurses, are faced with life and death decisions without the benefit of knowing the patient’s, or the patient’s family’s, wishes. However, aside from those tragic times when a patient’s wishes are unknown, healthcare professionals must always put their own morals aside, and act
“A healing hospital is built on the ancient tradition that love is at the center of healing. Within that framework, the Golden Thread – a symbol of our faith in God – requires that we strike a balance between the latest scientific advancements and the demands of the human spirit. As healthcare providers, we are called upon to tend to our patient’s heart and head. For a hospital to truly be healing, the Golden Thread must be continuous. As both healers and patients, it is the Golden Thread that connects us all” (Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, n.d.).
In healthcare organizations, medical staff must conform to their hospital and their country’s code of conduct. Not only do they have to meet set standards, they must also take their patient into consideration. When making a decision upon a patient, medical staff must recognize religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. By understanding a patients’ beliefs and their belief system, a medical worker can give the patient their deserved medical assistance without overstepping boundaries or coming off as offensive. The practices and beliefs of four religions will be articulated throughout this essay to fully understand how religion can either help or hinder the healing process.
The dynamic holistic view of the human individual as a biological, psychological, social, and spiritual being is the foundation of most nursing theories (Puchalski, 2006). Integral in these models of care is the recognition that the client is more than their physical being (Puchalski, 2006). To ensure the patient and family receive the most compassionate, comprehensive care, the consideration of spirituality is essential (Puchalski, 2006). According to Govier (2000), spirituality affects and embraces all that we are and do. Addressing spirituality is necessary to provide the experience of holistic care (Noto, 2006). It is imperative to attend to the spiritual dimension of the client in order to deliver nursing care that is compassionate and
Majority of my responses continued with positive awareness of my patient belief and cultural value. Some of the positive responses includes: treating my clients with respect of their culture, having awareness regarding the roles of family may be different within each culture or family and understanding how culture has an impact on education, religion, and view of wellness. In addition, after taking this course and learning ways to provide competent care to my patient, I was able to turn my negative response originally identified into positive responses. For example, I learn not to impose my belief and values system on my patient. I cannot say my belief and values is the only right path to follow. Each patient has their own values and belief system based upon their cultural differences or preference. I learned to respect and acknowledge the patient indifferences. When the patient recognizes the health care provider respects their belief and practice, they will more likely respond better to their treatment. As a result, there will be an improved outcome of the patient
Testerman, J. K. (1997, June). Spirituality vs religion: Implications for healthcare. Retrieved May 22, 2011, from http://www.aiias.edu/ict/vol_19.19cc_283-297.pdf
New Testament Survey shaped me into a better person because it helped me understand my faith. I always grew up with my faith, I was never taught to challenge my beliefs and myself. Through this class I learned to ask questions because through questions you can strengthen your own understanding. Doctor Sim is always so caring and so sweet. He genuinely cares about each and every one of his students, I believe that is why I did as well as I did in this class. Doctor Sim made me interested and he made me want to become a better person each and every class. There was never a class when I didn’t walk out in a good mood and ready to put the lessons into practice.
I honestly thought it would be an easy credit and something fun to take. I thought the study of religion was just learning about other religions to see what they were like and why they are different from our own. I guess I thought that studying other religions would help me understand my own better. Now, I understand more and the study of religion is much, much more important than I could have ever thought. Learning about other people’s religions and their cultures helps us become better people in this world. If we can better understand someone’s point of view, then we can respect their decisions and them as a person more. Not understanding a culture or religion can lead to stereotyping and just hatred for others. If everyone in the whole word learned about other people’s culture, religion, and ideas; then the world would be a much better place. I think this class should be mandatory just for that reason alone. I think the reason that my view on the study of religion has changed is because of what we have learned throughout the textbook. Learning about these different religions that have been taken out of context really puts a spin on things in your mid. I mean, take Muslims, a few Muslims did some very bad things, but now people think that all Muslims are terrorists or bad people. Learning about the religion helped me understand that they are vey peaceful people and just a few did