Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example

            In the Case Study, ‘Healing and Autonomy,’ Mike and Joanne are parents to Samuel and James, eight-year-old identical twins. James suffers from acute glomerulonephritis, which leads to kidney failure. As dedicated Christians, Mike and Joanne forego dialysis treatment and believe in God’s healing. James’ condition becomes detrimental and requires a kidney transplant within one year. The physician informs Mike and Joanne about Samuel being a possible kidney donor for James. This essay elucidates on medical treatment postponement based on spiritual miracles and prayers. Patients’ autonomy concept is discussed in light of Christianity.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James, or would that mean disrespect of a patient \’s autonomy? Explain your rationale.

            Health care providers are required to respect the patients’ autonomy concept. As such, autonomy embraces the ability and authority to make medical decisions independently (Varkey, 2021). As an eight-year-old child, James was incompetent to make medical care decisions in the case study. Therefore, making medical care decisions is vested upon Mike and Joanne. The physician honored the principle of autonomy by allowing James’ parents to pursue spiritual healing. However, the principle of autonomy asserts that physicians have a mandate to educate their patients sufficiently concerning critical medical decisions. Therefore, the physician should use his skills and expertise to educate Mike and Joanne about the dangers of forfeting dialysis treatment. The physician should inform the parents that choosing spiritual healing over dialysis is irrational and detrimental. Through education, Mike and Joanne will analyze the issue and make decisions from an informed perspective.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

            Nonetheless, the physician should not allow Mike and Joanne to continue making decisions that put the patient at risk. Health care providers must protect susceptible patients from health care neglect. Therefore, physicians are obligated by the law to report parents to the authorities if the medical care leads to disability or death from the parents’ actions, decisions, or inactions. Secondly, health care providers are allowed ethically to carry forward with life-saving interventions over the parents’ objects. In this case, pediatricians have a legal and ethical mandate to offer care and make decisions beneficial to the patients and not necessarily what the parents or caretakers desire.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

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 non-maleficence in James \’s care?

            Religion plays a fundamental role in healthcare since it affects the care-seeking beliefs and behavior of the patients. Staunch Christians believe that good health is a gift from God as compensation for doing good deeds and remaining faithful to the word of God. Others believe that illness is a test of faith or reprisal for sinning against God. In the case study, Mike seeks to determine whether God was punishing him and his son James for going against God’s will. Mike believes that victory over sickness comes through prayers and miracles as a dedicated Christian. Mike believes that his son James will be healed through the death of Jesus Christ, who died for the sake of humans’ sins.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

            Notably, Christians should understand God’s intentions in causing suffering through sickness. As such, Christians and health care providers should uphold justice and fairness while taking care of the ill-health people (Varkey, 2021). The nephrologist was fair and just in offering treatment based on James’ needs. The physician also allowed James’ family to look for a kidney donor and continued to care for James despite the parents’ refusal. Mike and Joanne should perceive medical interventions as a way to take care of the sick and improve the state and not the lack of faith. In this case, medical knowledge is God’s given gift to benefit his people. Christians have a mandate to seek medical care to respect and honor their body as the temple of God.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

            As staunch Christians, Mike should also consider the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence (Paganini, 2018). Mike and Joanne should maintain God’s power to heal James. However, Mike should couple his religious beliefs with medical information provided by the physician. In this case, Mike should continue praying for his son’s well-being and allow him to undergo dialysis treatment as the most rational decision. Allowing dialysis to take place does not mean that Mike has forsaken God’s healing power. On the contrary, Mike will be taking care of the suffering son as God wants. Of importance, Mike should remember that God uses people to perform his miracles. Therefore, the physician treats while God heals.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

            Mike and Joanne should sustain their unshakeable God’s healing power. However, the couple should honor the principle of beneficence and non-maleficence. Beneficence aims at improving the patients’ condition (Paganini, 2018). The medical care decision should benefit the patient and not cause harm. Therefore, the parents should allow James to undergo dialysis since the treatment would improve the patient’s condition. Furthermore, Mike and Joanne should allow a kidney transplant to save James’ life. On the contrary, non-maleficence asserts that physicians should not perform any procedures that will intentionally or unintentionally harm James (Timms, 2019). Mike should understand that the physician does not recommend dialysis to harm the patient. Therefore, allowing dialysis and kidney transplants will be using God’s given provision.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

How would a spiritual needs assessment help the physician assist Mike in determining appropriate interventions for James and his family or others involved in his care?

            Most importantly, a spiritual needs assessment will aid the physician in assisting James’ parents in choosing the most appropriate medical interventions. Thus, the physician will use medical interventions that are responsive and respectful to James and his family. The spiritual assessment will offer a context to discuss patients’ and families’ experiences and beliefs that affect their health-seeking behavior. The physician should measure the patients and families’ supporting and contradicting spiritual beliefs. The physicians should determine whether they can satisfy the spiritual needs of the patient, family, and other people involved in care.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

            Spiritual assessments allow the physician to incorporate the patients’ spiritual beliefs into the care plan (Farahaninia et al., 2018). Physicians have a mandate to refer patients to pastoral care to allow them to meet their religious needs that arise after a spiritual assessment. Chaplains are likely to provide pertinent information to patients and their families about how making medical care decisions based on religion will affect the patient’s condition. For instance, the physician should have referred James’ parents to pastoral care to understand how the decision to forego dialysis would affect James. To sum up, spiritual assessment offers the foundation for holistic care that allows growth, resilience, and growth that uses spiritual resources to improve people’s overall well-being.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

References

Farahaninia, M., Abasi, M., Seyedfatemi, N., JafarJalal, E., & Haghani, H. (2018). Nurses’ attitudes towards spiritual care and spiritual care practices. Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care, 4(2), 61-68.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Paganini, C. (2018). “We Live in the Ruins of Christendom”: Bioethics in a Post-Engelhardtian Age. Conatus-Journal of Philosophy, 3(2), 99-110.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Timms, O. (2019). Biomedical ethics. (2^nd ed.). New Delhi: Elsevier(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28.(Case Analysis On Patients Spiritual Needs-Comprehensive Nursing Paper Example)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/