Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

Healthcare professionals and providers try to comply with the basic principles in care provision that include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. However, due to complexities and other issues, especially contextual factors like spiritual beliefs and religious practices that conflict with approaches to modern healthcare interventions, these professionals encounter dilemmas and have limited say in critical cases where patients value autonomy over any other principle (Hoehner, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of spirituality and religious beliefs on a patient’s autonomy based on the case study presented concerning James, a minor, and the decisions that his parents, particularly his father, make regarding his treatment based on the Christian perspective of spirituality and healing. In its final part, the paper discusses the role of spiritual assessment on patients.

Allowing Mike to Make Decisions and Patient Autonomy

The principle of autonomy implores healthcare providers to respect the decisions and choices of their patients when providing care. Patient autonomy entails the right of a patient to determine their medical care and treatment interventions based on the information offered by the physician without any undue influence or coercion (Hubbard et al., 2019). The case study on James entails parents exercising autonomy since he is a minor and incompetent to make decisions concerning his health status. The physician is obligated to respect the decisions of the parents based on the concept of autonomy. While Mike relies on faith as opposed to proven medical interventions, the physician should offer him sufficient information and allow him to make any decision that he considers better for his son James. The decision to take James to a healing service at the church led to the deterioration of his health. While it seems tempting to deny the parents the right to autonomy, the physician should not interfere because they have a legal basis to determine the type of treatment that their son should get.

The physician should instead develop a rapport and effective communication that would allow him to reason with them about the choices that they are making concerning James’ treatment. The physician should offer sufficient information to the parents concerning all possible options and effects of the decisions that they make (Johnstone, 2019). Imperatively, the physician should act in the best interest of the minor and persuade the parents based on the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence to offer the boy appropriate interventions.

Christian Perspectives on Sickness and Health

Spirituality and religious beliefs are fundamental in healthcare since they influence the decisions that patients make concerning care delivery as demonstrated in the case study. Christians perceive health as a gift and blessing from God. However, a majority believe that sickness is a punishment from God and could be due to possible wrongdoing. Again, they attribute sickness as a chance for one to be close to God and seek repentance and when they get healed, it manifests the healing power of God. Despite its devastating effects, sickness as a sign of suffering and punishment from the devil, cannot triumph and God will always be those afflicted (Hoehner, 2020). Therefore, Christians should understand that sickness and health are essential components of one’s living and not a punishment from God.

God gives man the knowledge and abilities to be a physician so that he treats while He heals. Christians should understand that God intervenes through medical treatment when one falls sick. Christians ought to consider health as a critical component of one’s overall living which requires medical; interventions when they are sick. Christians ought to think of sickness and health as normal occurrences that require interventions by physicians instead of thinking of them as punishment or blessing from God.

Medical interventions are a necessary part of attaining health and wellness. Therefore, Christians should not oppose medical interventions but instead, accept them as part of knowledge given to man by God. Medical interventions allow physicians to eliminate unnecessary suffering and protect the sanctity of life. Medical interventions, together with prayers lead to healing and restoration of health (Johnstone, 2019). God bestowed intelligence onto man and through His power, enabled them to make discoveries in medical interventions to cure disease and alleviate suffering. Therefore, Christians should consider medical interventions as God’s gift to man and embrace it. Medical interventions are not substitutes for prayers but allow a person to attain healing and treatment together with prayers. More fundamentally, Christians should know that seeking medical assistance does not amount to a lack of faith or belief in God.

Mike as a Christian should have faith in God and allow the physician and his team to provide care to James based on their recommendations and interventions. Mike must trust in God and ensure that he complies with the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence in James’ treatment. James’ health and even his life, are at stake (Hoehner, 2020). Therefore, it is irrational for Mike to focus on his beliefs and values and interpretation of his faith while James suffers. Mike should pray that the physician and his team do their best and allow Samuel to donate his kidney to save James. As a parent, he should act responsibly and allow the physician to treat James in the best way possible.

Mike should reason that trusting God and treating James will honor the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence as James will attain better outcomes based on the recommended interventions. Mike and Joanne are staunch Christians and should prioritize dialysis as it has the potential to improve James’ condition. Mike and Joanne should focus on promoting the best interests of their son and ensure that he is not harmed in any way.

Benefits of a Spiritual Needs Assessment

Factoring the spiritual needs of patients is a core aspect of providing better patient-centric and evidence-based practice care. The primary aim of spiritual needs assessment is to help physicians and the healthcare team support patients by integrating their religious beliefs and practice as part of the care plan (Johnstone, 2019). The assessment allows the physician and the care team to tailor care interventions to a patient’s needs and align them with spiritual and religious beliefs and values. A spiritual needs assessment also encourages patients to use spiritual resources to enhance their overall response to medications and other components of the care plan.

Through a spiritual needs assessment, providers also get the chance to understand patients better and strengthen their therapeutic alliance. The assessments are also critical for patients as they offer an opportunity for renewal, growth, and resiliency. Providers attain holistic care when they integrate and satisfy the spiritual needs of a patient. Healthcare providers can use different tools to conduct spiritual assessments, like HOPE which guides physicians based on many ideas to specific applications in cases (Sabo, 2021). Through spiritual assessment, the physician will be in a better position to understand Mike and Joanne and the decisions that they are making concerning the treatment of their son. The two should undergo a spiritual evaluation by the right professionals like a chaplain or psychiatrist to determine the influence of their faith on the decisions that they keep making as they seem irrational and not beneficial to their son.

Conclusion

The case study demonstrates the critical role of spirituality and religious beliefs and practices on individuals in contrast to adherence to biomedical principles like autonomy and beneficence. Christians should consider medical interventions as critical and seek care when diagnosed with conditions. Prayers work through placing trust in the medical process and allowing the healthcare team to implement interventions aimed at improving the health of an individual. As Christians, Mike and Joanne should allow their son, James, to get treatment instead of contemplating the role of faith in their lives.

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

PHI413
Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making In Health Care

Week 5 Assignment

Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

In addition to the topic study materials, use the chart you
completed and questions you answered in the Topic 3 about “Case Study:
Healing and Autonomy” as the basis for your responses in this assignment.

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case AnalysisAnswer the following questions about a patient’s spiritual
needs in light of the Christian worldview.

In 200-250 words, respond to the following: Should the
physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be
irrational and harmful to James, or would that mean a disrespect of a patient’s
autonomy? Explain your rationale.

In 400-500 words, respond to the following: How ought the
Christian think about sickness and health? How should a Christian think about
medical intervention? What should Mike as a Christian do? How should he reason
about trusting God and treating James in relation to what is truly honoring the
principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence in James’s care?

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In 200-250 words, respond to the following: How would a spiritual
needs assessment help the physician assist Mike determine appropriate
interventions for James and for his family or others involved in his care?

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case AnalysisRemember to support your responses with the topic study
materials.

While APA style is not required for the body of this
assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources
should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case AnalysisYou are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

This benchmark assignment assesses the following
competencies:

Assignment: PHI 413 Benchmark – Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case AnalysisBS Nursing (RN to BSN)

5.2: Assess for the spiritual needs and provide appropriate
interventions for individuals, families, and groups.