Patients’ Spiritual Needs and Ethical Principles

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Patient Autonomy
Christian Perspective Regarding Sickness and Health
Spiritual Assessment Benefits
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Healthcare professionals try to follow the basic principles, including a patient’s beneficence, autonomy, nonlimerence, and justice. However, in many cases, adherence to all of the principles mentioned above is barely possible due to the complexity of human body systems and the diversity of people’s values and preferences (Johnstone, 2019). Spirituality and religious beliefs can often make people unwilling to follow healthcare practitioners’ recommendations, which can result in negative health outcomes. The case under analysis is an example of the need to pay specific attention to patients’ spiritual needs as, in this way, physicians can ensure their adherence to beneficence and nonmaleficence principles when treating patients.

Patient Autonomy

The case under analysis can be seen as an illustration of challenges associated with the manifestation of patient autonomy. The decisions made by Mike and Joanne make it difficult for the physician to adhere to the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. The choices the parents made led to a considerable deterioration of their son’s health, so the patient could consider focusing on the child’s best interest rather than his parents’ preferences. It is rather tempting to deny parents their right to make autonomous decisions and choose the most beneficial treatment for the child. However, this would mean the disrespect of their autonomy, as well as lead to unwanted consequences. Parents may disbelieve healthcare professionals and ignore the recommendations they provide (Ubel, Scherr, & Fagerlin, 2017). Under such circumstances, the child’s health and even life may be in danger

Instead of depriving parents of the opportunity to make autonomous choices, the physician should develop rapport and effective communication patterns with these people. The healthcare practitioner should inform parents about all possible options and consequences of the decisions they make (Hubbard & Greenblum, 2019). Clearly, the physician should act in the best interest of the child and try to persuade parents as the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence should be a priority (Lawrence, 2007). The physician has to be compassionate but precise and sincere when describing the desirable treatment and the outcomes of other choices.

Christian Perspective Regarding Sickness and Health

The Christian perspective regarding health and illness is rather complex as the latter is viewed as a type of punishment or a trial for a person. These quite different paradigms make Christians’ responses to illness diverse (Johnstone, 2019). In some cases, the person has to endure God’s punishment in order to purify and earn their place in Heaven. Clearly, people seeing their health issues through the lens of punishment concept are unlikely to seek medical help and adhere to the provided recommendations.

However, the case in question is an illustration of another perspective, the one associated with a trial. Mike views his son’s illness as a trial imposed by God, so the man believes that his faith is tried. In terms of this paradigm, Mike can seek medical assistance as it would mean that he is ready to be active and accept all the instruments God offers to people. Christians appreciate the gifts of God and are thankful for them (Johnstone, 2019). Medical advances can be seen as these gifts, and refusing to use them can be regarded as rejecting God’s wisdom.

Therefore, Mike has to seek medical help and follow the recommendations provided by the physician and other healthcare professionals. He should also seek spiritual support and provide it to his son, as it can have a positive impact on the healing process. Mike should be responsible when considering every clinical procedure recommended by the staff, as the trial can imply something bigger than a silent observation and suffering. Mike’s ability to hope and act can be tried, and his appreciation of God’s wisdom and gifts can be a matter of the test of his faith.

In this way, Mike will be able to trust God and, at the same time, ensure adherence to the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence when treating James. James’s health and even life are at stake, so it is rather irresponsible to focus solely on Mike’s beliefs and values, as well as his interpretation of his faith. Mike should trust God and use the instruments he is given. The physician and the choices offered to Mike are these tools ensuring his son’s healing. James can be treated effectively, and all the stakeholders can act in the boy’s best interest if Mike accepts his son’s illness as the trial requiring action rather than contemplation. Parents are responsible for their children, who are also God’s gifts, and the precious gift cannot be properly cherished; it can be taken away.

Spiritual Assessment Benefits

Contemporary healthcare professionals understand that diverse patients’ needs should be addressed in order to facilitate the healing process. Spiritual assessment is one of the tools that can be effectively used by the physician to help Mike choose the most appropriate treatment for James. Timmins and Caldeira (2017) note that several assessment instruments are available, and their effectiveness has been acknowledged in various situations. Healthcare professionals manage to identify patients’ major values and beliefs regarding health and spirituality. It is noteworthy that spiritual assessment can be implemented in the form of interviews with asking open-ended questions, which will help establish the necessary rapport (Timmins & Caldeira, 2017). In the case under analysis, the physician should have used this approach and explore Mike’s views on certain areas.

The implementation of the assessment would equip the physician with an understanding of Mike’s major values. By analyzing the Christian perspective, the healthcare professional could have found arguments to support his recommendations regarding James’s treatment. The physician would involve other people to guide Mike and his family and help them make the right decision. The physician could have addressed other healthcare professionals and the hospital’s chaplain, discussing Mike’s needs and ways to meet them. Moreover, attention to Mike’s spirituality would also be instrumental in the development of effective relationships between the patient’s parents and healthcare practitioners. Mike would appreciate the physician’s attempts to understand his concerns and preferences, as well as provide spiritual support. Mike could have been more willing to follow the physician’s advice, which could have been beneficial for James.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to state that Mike has to make a series of difficult decisions that can lead to his son’s healing or death. Being a devout Christian, Mike has an opportunity to find strength in his faith. He can be empowered to go on and make correct decisions if he sees his son’s health condition as a trial of his, Mike’s, ability to act and appreciate God’s wisdom. The physician should have implemented a spiritual assessment that could have helped him choose the most effective strategy to interact with Mike. The physician has to be compassionate and knowledgeable of the Christian perspective of health, which will enable him to develop proper relationships with Mike and find the right words when discussing James’s treatment.

References

Hubbard, R., & Greenblum, J. (2019). Parental decision making: The best interest principle, child autonomy, and reasonableness. HEC Forum, 31(3), 233-240. Web.

Johnstone, M. J. (2019). Bioethics: A nursing perspective (7th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Lawrence, D. J. (2007). The four principles of biomedical ethics: A foundation for current bioethical debate. Journal of Chiropractic Humanities, 14, 34-40.

Timmins, F., & Caldeira, S. (2017). Assessing the spiritual needs of patients. Nursing Standard, 31(29), 47-53. Web.

Ubel, P. A., Scherr, K. A., & Fagerlin, A. (2017). Empowerment failure: How shortcomings in physician communication unwittingly undermine patient autonomy. The American Journal of Bioethics, 17(11), 31-39. Web.

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