Grand Canyon University, PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care
Based on the required topic study materials, write a reflection about worldview and respond to following:
Remember to support your reflection 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. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
RUBRIC
Due Date: 15-Mar-2020 at 11:59:59 PM
Maximum Points: 100.0
Ethical and spiritual decision making in health care
Part 1: Explain the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care
Christianity offers a religious perspective on the nature of ethics and spirituality. It contends that spirituality is the religious and theological prism that explains the notion of God in terms of who, what and how. God is perceived as the eternal and all-powerful being above everything and everyone. With the understanding of God as a concept, Christians have developed belief systems that are presented in the Bible. These belief systems explain the purpose of human life, and the truth as well as the meaning of life. With this awareness, humans can pursue and achieve a transcendent state for all life experiences. This means that even as humans make choices about life, spirituality ensures that they remaining grounded in following God’s guidance. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. In addition, it makes Christian more accepting of life since there is the acceptance that God guides all fate and anything that happens must have been permitted by God, whether good or bad. As such, spirituality takes on theological and symbolic functions (Igboin, 2015). Besides that, Christians view ethics as making a decision based on God’s instructions as presented in the Bible. They rely on spirituality to conform to God’s expectation without room for ambiguity. The Christian perspective of spirituality and ethics have implications for health care through guiding with decision-making by setting boundaries for accepting choices/options when making decisions. They are particularly focused on lessening human suffering, augmenting wellbeing, and restoring life (Igboin, 2015).
Postmodern relativism presents a more liberal understanding of spirituality, arguing that there is no absolute truth. It is ambiguous when arguing that God may or may not exist with either one of the options being a possibility. Similarly, with regards to ethics, postmodern relativism contents that contrasting ethical arguments could be valid or invalid with no absolute truth. The implication is that no single argument should be discarded simply because it is contradictory. The postmodern relativism perspective is particularly useful to health care since it supports multicultural care delivery through accepting diversity. With this awareness, medical personnel would acknowledge that they do not have a monopoly on the truth about spirituality and ethics, and that obscure cultures should not be ignored (Zavada, 2019).
Part 2: Explain what scientism is and describe two of the main arguments against it
Scientism contends that hard sciences are the only true source of absolute truths and genuine knowledge thus positioning them to offer superior scientific knowledge. It identifies hard sciences as the subjects relying on experimentation and laws of nature to include physics, biology and physics. The hard sciences rely on factual, replicable and testable data thus making their results reliable. Unlike hard sciences, soft sciences are considered as pseudosciences that present guesses and conjectures that are subject to change that may not be replicable thus making them inferior to hard science. The distinction between hard and soft sciences is based on the perceived value of the information they provide. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. Hard sciences offer more valuable information since they rely on objective skepticism, experimentation, and falsification to offer explanatory principles. On the other hand, soft sciences rely on subjectivism thereby presenting opportunities for influences from human nature such that it is not uncommon to have contrasting ideas for the same principle (Moreland, 2018). In this respect, scientism identifies hard sciences as having greater intellectual authority over real knowledge when compared to soft sciences.
There are two main arguments offered against scientism. Firstly, hard sciences do not offer absolute truths and facts since they are restructured by the current understanding of the environment and measuring instruments. Things that were previously thought of as absolute truths in hard sciences are not subject to change as new information is presented. This means that information presented by both soft and hard sciences are subject to change over time. Secondly, hard sciences have adopted a tyrannical approach that is over-reliant on rationalism while disregarding personal opinion. These tyrannical approaches end up stifling willful thought that is important for discovering new information, and yet this is important for advancing science. Soft sciences have adopted a more accepting approach that allows for willful thought (Briggs, 2019).
Part 3.
(a) What is ultimate reality?
Ultimate reality is the belief that every individual is the product of interactions with the environment. I am the product of nurture, and my environment determines how I develop into a person. My family, neighborhood, community, city, state, government and other environmental factors have all influenced my development through determining my values, mannerism and thought processes. For instance, I would be more accepting of polygamy if I were a Muslim and less accepting if I were a Christian since the two religious principles differ on their perceptions of number of partners in a valid marriage. As such, ultimate reality looks at how experience affects reasons as well as decision-making and life perceptions. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care.
(b) What is the nature of the universe?
The nature of the universe is that it is always experiencing change with the most basic change being time. The universe relies on energy to drive the change with the extent and direction of change relying on the prioritization processes determined by competition, extinction, evolution, and energy conversion. Competition involves struggle to acquire the scarce energy resources. Extinction involves removal of components that are unable to compete either through direct competition or disaster events. Evolution involves adapting to environmental changes that allow for a better fit. Energy conversion involves changes between the different forms of energy that begins with solar energy being captured by plants.
(c) What is a human being?
A human being can be defined from two perspectives. The first definition is from the religious perspective that identifies God as the creator of human beings. The Christian story of creation advances that humans were created by God in his image with the intention of them to procreate and do his will that includes taking care of other creations and following the Ten Commandments. The second definition is from the biological perspective that identifies humans as products of evolution who have selectively adapted to develop higher thought processes that allows them to adapt the environment to their needs. The higher thought process has allowed humans to develop complex languages and vocabulary, technology and clothes that allow them to use the environment beyond their physical capabilities.
(d) What is knowledge?
Knowledge refers to the unique sets of facts, information, and skills that an individual cognitively acquires through experience and education. Experience involves practice to familiarize with knowledge while education involves attending formal and informal processes to acquire theoretical knowledge. Knowledge allows individuals to have capacity thought processes. For instance, an individual knowledgeable in engineering is able to successfully manage a construction project while an individual knowledgeable in medicine is able to diagnose and treat ailments.
(e) What is your basis of ethics?
My perception of ethics is based on two concepts. The first concept is personal opinion, beliefs and awareness to determine moral right and wrong. This is based on what the environment has taught me. For instance, I personally believe that every person should do honest work to earn a living, and that stealing is wrong. Regardless of my environment and laws, I would find it difficult to steal. The second concept is public principles and beliefs. Although I may have personal beliefs, they may not necessarily match the public beliefs that are determined through public discussions and consensus. For instance, there are ethical principles on how to handle private information within the professional environment, and regardless of my personal beliefs, I am expected to follow the principles. The two concepts interact to determine how I handle ethical situations.
(f) What is the purpose of your existence?
I have two purposes for existing. My first purpose is to procreate and bring up future generations. This includes getting married, having children, working to earn money, and meeting the needs of my family. Also, it includes taking care of my environment so that my future generations do not suffer for my mistakes. My second purpose is to fulfil God’s will through observing religious principles such as observing the Ten Commandments, and acting in good conscious. I believe that I was created by God to serve, and I only have value for as long as I serve. As such, my purpose is to procreate, present a better world for future generations, and fulfil God’s will.
References
Briggs, W. (2019). In opposition to scientism. Retrieved from https://wmbriggs.com/post/26885/
Igboin, B. (2015). Spirituality and medical practice: a Christian perspective. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 12(4). DOI: 10.20529/IJME.2015.054. Retrieved from http://ijme.in/articles/spirituality-and-medical-practice-a-christian-perspective/?galley=html PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care
Moreland, J. (2018). What is scientism? Retrieved from https://www.crossway.org/articles/what-is-scientism/
Zavada, J. (2019). Postmodernism definition. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-postmodernism-700692
Based on “Case Study: Fetal Abnormality” and other required topic study materials, write a 750-1,000-word reflection that answers the following questions:
Remember 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.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
RUBRIC
Attempt Start Date: 16-Mar-2020 at 12:00:00 AM
Due Date: 22-Mar-2020 at 11:59:59 PM
Maximum Points: 200.0
Ethical and spiritual decision making
The Christian view advances that God created the universe and everything within it. The creation of humans was not arbitrary, and instead it was purposeful with humans being the perfect image of God. This explains why humans have the capacity for higher thought and enjoy dominion over all other creations. Within this purposeful creation, every creation (including humans) has an intrinsic value. God’s purpose was that every creation should enjoy perfect justice and live. The purpose of creating human beings was to serve and love God in order to bring about the glorious creation plan. The Christian faith proclaims that all human life is sacred, and that the intrinsic dignity in every person is the foundation of the ethical/moral vision for the human society. The implication is that every human being has intrinsic value by virtue of being a human created by God. This value is not conferred by humans. Rather, it is a quality prior to being human (Heinrichs, Oser & Lovat, 2013).
The Christian view on the nature of human persons is aligned with Kantian Ethics, which postulates that human dignity is a status that humans enjoy simply by being humans, and it places the life of humans above all other creations. The implication is that it is an obligation placed on humans to recognize the status of other humans and respect that status as the foundation for all acts of justice (Potter et al., 2018).
The four individuals apply different theories when determining the moral status of the fetus. Firstly, Maria applied the Divine Command Theory when she makes her arguments. She is insistent that God exists and asks Jessica to join her in prayer even as she engages the prayer services of a priest through the phone. In essence, she believes in the existence of God and that there is a divine plan which humans only need to follow as part of God’s will. Also, she believes that every life has value and even the unborn fetus is a life that should enjoy the same rights as other persons. Her belief in God’s will guides her in advising Jessica to keep the pregnancy. As such, Maria bases the status of the fetus on the Christian perspective and believes in doing as God commanded with regards to respecting all life and not killing (Gensler, 2016).
Secondly, Jessica applied Ethical Egoism Theory. The theory allows her to focus on pursuing self-interests. She is worried about her financial situation and feels that she is not ready for the responsibility of taking care of a baby. She is interested in achieving financial stability, and adding an unplanned child would end up derailing her plans through adding to her expenses. Given that she is interested in achieving financial stability, she believes that her best option is to get rid of the fetus so as not to add to her expenses (Gensler, 2016).
Thirdly, Marco applied Virtue Ethics Theory. He bases his ideas of right and wrong on the people around him. He is seeking to do good by Jessica, understands that the child will derail her plans. He is keen on protecting Jessica and feels that bad news should been presented when she is well prepared to receive such news in order to reduce the shock. He is keen on protecting his wife and meeting her needs, and appears less concerned about whether or not the child lives (Gensler, 2016).
Fourthly, Dr. Wilson applied Kantian Ethical Theory. His idea of right and wrong is based on rational thought whereby she applies a cost-benefit analysis to determine the best decision. As a doctor, he understands his position as an impartial party who has a professional duty and obligation to present accurate and truthful information to the patients to allow them make the best decisions. He is keen on presenting the family with comprehensive information ot allow them make informed decisions about the fetus (Gensler, 2016).
The ethical theories applied have influenced the decisions that each one of the four individuals made. Maria applied the Divine Command Theory, and this influenced her to rely on God’s instructions. She seeks interpretation of God’s instructions from a priest and prays in order to get guidance. She believes that Jessica’s pregnancy is the will of God and that she should never consider a termination. Jessica’s recommendations are guided by Ethical Egoism Theory. She has objectives and is keen on pursuing them. She looks at the fetus as a stumbling block in the pursuit of her personal objectives, and believes that she is best served by eliminating the stumbling block. Marco’s recommendations are guided by Virtue Ethics Theory. He is keen on supporting Jessica in pursuing her dreams, and does not want to distress her. He recommends that Jessica should be informed about the case at a time when she has been well primed to receive the information without suffering a shock. Dr. Wilson’s recommendations are guided by Kantian Ethical Theory. He accepts his professional responsibilities as a physician and recommends that the family should make an informed decision after acquiring and evaluating all the information pertaining to the case (Gensler, 2016).
I agree with Kantian Ethical Theory. Maria, Jessica and Marco make recommendations without first collecting all the information. This implies that they did not make informed recommendations. Kantian ethics requires that they first collect all the information pertaining to the case, and that they should always respect human life. Whichever decision the family makes, it is only right that the decision should be made after evaluating all the associated information.
References
Gensler, H. (2016). Ethics and religion. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Heinrichs, K., Oser, F. & Lovat, T. (2013). Handbook of moral motivation: theories, models, and applications. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Potter, P., Perry, A., Stockert, P., Hall, A. & Castaldi, P. (2018). Study guide for essentials for nursing practice. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
This assignment will incorporate a common practical tool in helping clinicians begin to ethically analyze a case. Organizing the data in this way will help you apply the four principles of principlism.
Based on the “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy” and other required topic study materials, you will complete the “Applying the Four Principles: Case Study” document that includes the following:
Part 1: Chart
This chart will formalize principlism and the four-boxes approach by organizing the data from the case study according to the relevant principles of biomedical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
Part 2: Evaluation
This part includes questions, to be answered in a total of 500 words, that describe how principalism would be applied according to the Christian worldview.
Remember to support your responses with the topic study materials.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
AttachmentsPHI-413V-RS-T3ApplyingFourPrinciplesCaseStudy.docx
Attempt Start Date: 23-Mar-2020 at 12:00:00 AM
Due Date: 29-Mar-2020 at 11:59:59 PM
Maximum Points: 150.0
Applying the Four Principles: Case Study
Based on the “Healing and Autonomy” case study, fill out all the relevant boxes below. Provide the information by means of bullet points or a well-structured paragraph in the box. Gather as much data as possible.
| Medical Indications
Beneficence and Nonmaleficence |
Patient Preferences
Autonomy |
| · James is suck and suffers from an acute case of kidney failure.
· His care was delayed as his parents relied on faith and took him away from hospital. · His condition has worsened following the delayed treatment. · He requires regular dialysis in order to continue surviving. · He requires a healthy kidney transplant in order to conclusively address his condition with no reoccurrence or continued kidney difficulties. · James’ twin brother (Samuel) could be an ideal organ transplant match, and could be a donor for the transplant surgery. |
· James getting well so that his kidney is no longer diseased.
· Rely on the power of religious faith to heal James, and not rely on medical treatment. · Not having to harvest the organ from Samuel for James. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care |
| Quality of Life
Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy |
Contextual Features
Justice and Fairness |
| · James’ situation appears grim since he currently relies on regular dialysis and will continue this reliance unless he can get a healthy kidney transplant.
· His condition initially loosened but has stabilized following the regular dialysis. · His parents feel it is appropriate to consult him on whether to explore the surgery option and if Samuel can be considered as a donor since they feel that he has a say in the issue, and their previous decision to withdraw him from treatment worsened the medical condition. |
· The parents are questioning their decisions, and whether it caused the medical condition to worsen.
· The parents are questioning if their faith was not enough or if they were meant to seek medical treatment for James and that their procrastination had worsened the condition. · They are exploring the possibility of faith working, and are continuing with faith-based approaches alongside medical intervention. |
Answer each of the following questions about how principlism would be applied:
| According to the Christian worldview, the most pressing principle in the present case is medical indication. James is in a precarious situation. His medical condition has worsened and he has become increasingly reliant on regular dialysis. He can only get off the dialysis by receiving a kidney transplant. He is likely to die if he stops receiving dialysis and does not get a healthy kidney. The Bible supports this view by indicating that the most important value for any Christian is to love himself/herself and to love others with the same measure. In this case, love applies to meeting all the associated needs of the individual, a value that every Christian must apply. For that matter, loving an individual involves providing the basic needs that include food, clothing, shelter and medical care. For the persons who are without food, loving them implies providing food, and for those who are sick, loving them involving relieving the sickness. James is sick and loving him would involve providing healing, something that could only proceed after medical indication. The medical facility and personnel are specifically prepared to determine and provide James’ health care needs. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. This means that it is present that have James follow the advice offered by medical personnel who are uniquely primed to provide the healing he needs. Providing medical care implies loving James as indicated in the Bible (James 5:14, KJV). Besides that, Jesus Christ was a healer in the Bible, and there are stories of him healing the sick. This validates medical care as it can be argued that since Christ was a physician, then medicine should be accepted by Christians (Mark 8:2, KJV; Matthew 25:36, KJV). In addition, the Bible asks that Christians provide relief for everyone who is suffering. James is suffering with failing kidney and there is a high possibility of his condition worsening if he does not receive the appropriate medical care. Receiving medical care will alleviate his diseased condition, relieve the suffering, and provide healing (Matthew 25:40, KJV). Overall, the most pressing principle is medical indication since there is a need to understanding James’ health condition and provide the appropriate healing. |
| According to the Christian worldview, medical indication should be prioritized among the four principles. The Christian religion attaches much importance to compassion and love, especially for the vulnerable persons who are unable to take care of themselves and need care from others. Christianity does not allow for unnecessary suffering, something that must be controlled since James is experiencing unnecessary suffering. James has failing kidneys and they are causing him to suffer unnecessarily, and yet medical care can alleviate his condition (Matthew 22:39, KJV; 1 John 4:7, KJV). The second principle in the order of priority is the quality of life. James is heavily dependent on dialysis to continue surviving. This implies that he has a low quality of life and he could lose his life if the situation continues. Christians have an obligation to apply proportional measures to improve the quality of life of those who are sick and suffering (Igboin, 2015). Although Christianity allows for suffering as a part of life, it does not allow for unnecessary suffering. Just means should always be used to relieve unnecessary suffering. Life is given by God and it is right that James suffering should be relieved. Using medical care is a just means for relieving James’ suffering and improving his quality of life. The third principle in the order of priority is patient preference. James must always be allowed to make decisions involving his life. Christianity advocates for freewill, and states that every person will be judged for his/her actions. The decision about medical care should be left to James with the appropriate advice provided so that he is enabled to make an informed decision (Carden, 2013; Newton, 2015). The fourth principle in the order of priority is contextual features. That is because they inform the prevailing situation. Irrespective of whether or not questions about faith are presented, the situation demands that an urgent decision be made about James’ care. He is suffering and needs medical attention in order to alleviate his situation. The medical personnel can only offer advice and information to facilitate informed decision making *Heinrichs, Oser & Lovat, 2013). PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. |
References:
Carden, P. (2013). Rose Bible basics: Christianity, cults & religion (7th ed.). Carson, CA: Rose Publishing Inc.
Heinrichs, K., Oser, F. & Lovat, T. (2013). Handbook of moral motivation: theories, models, and applications. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Igboin, B. (2015). Spirituality and medical practice: a Christian perspective. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 12(4). DOI: 10.20529/IJME.2015.054
Newton, J. (2015). The revelation worldview: apocalyptic thinking in a postmodern world. Eugene, OR: WIPF & STOCK.
The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people from a variety of faiths. This calls for knowledge and understanding of a diversity of faith expressions; for the purpose of this course, the focus will be on the Christian worldview.
Based on “Case Study: End of Life Decisions,” the Christian worldview, and the worldview questions presented in the required topic study materials you will complete an ethical analysis of George’s situation and his decision from the perspective of the Christian worldview. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care
Provide a 1,500-2,000-word ethical analysis while answering the following questions:
Remember to support your responses with the topic study materials.
Prepare this PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
RUBRIC
Attempt Start Date: 30-Mar-2020 at 12:00:00 AM
Due Date: 05-Apr-2020 at 11:59:59 PM
Maximum Points: 200.0
Ethical and spiritual decision making in health care
Death is an inevitable event to all biological life, to include humans. For whatever reason, whether intentional, accidental and logical progression, all biological life must come to an end thereby completing the process that began at conception. Still, medical sciences have made significant advances that have changed the traditional concept of death such that interventions are now available for prolonging life and enabling continued life where previously death would have been the inevitable outcome. In fact, end of life care has changed the concept of death through intervening to support the biological systems and allow for continued life in the face of terminal illness, although it incurs significant costs and lowers the quality of life. This state of affairs (the medical advances) has created a unique situation in which individuals faced with death now have the opportunity to access medical care that prolongs their lives (Ferngen, 2014). Although the advances in medical sciences have presented opportunities for prolonging life, they simply slow down the process of death and do not offer a promise of recovery since it typically involves patients being connected to machines that replace the defective body systems to do their functions. For instance, a dialysis machine doing the function of a kidney with regular dialysis required or else the toxins build up in the body and cause death. This creates a situation in which the quality of life is lowered, not to talk of the associated costs of care, thereby raising the question over when life should be discontinued even if life prolong measures are available. This is a situation that patients receiving end of life care typically face as they decide between foregoing treatment and dying or prolonging their lives using medical technologies so that their quality of life is lowered and they have to pay high medical costs (Ruggiero, 2015). The present analysis discusses the ethical and religious implications of end of life options available to terminally ill patients. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care.
The Christian narrative is very accepting of suffering as a necessary trial for every person. These trials (sufferings) are intended to determine who is worthy of one day joining Jesus and God in paradise. Acts 14:22 (KJV) makes it clear that all Christians must confirm their faith by facing tribulations as a necessary test for getting into the Kingdom of God. The implication is that a Christian must be accepting of suffering, irrespective of the form that it takes. To suffer is the reality of the world and acts as an acknowledgement that the world is flawed, unlike paradise that has no suffering. While living in the world, Christians must accept tears, pain, mourning and death as a part of their tribulations. Revelations 21:4 (KJV) states that the only way through which Christians can escape the suffering is to be accepted by God upon death and go into paradise where will live forever and not experience any more tears, pain, mourning and death. This means that Christians must accept suffering as a part of their life on earth, and that it is not random or without purpose. Rather, suffering is intended to temper them as an earthly experience that redeems their physical bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (KJV) adds words of encouragement that although Christians suffer on earth, they have not been forsaken and should neither question the suffering nor be in despair since it serves God’s purpose. Besides that, all suffering will be within bearable levels as a test and not punishment since God will always be there to offer comfort in our time of need (Job 2:9-10, KJV; 2 Corinthians 1:4, KJV). Overall, it becomes clear that suffering is a test permitted by God and intended to temper Christians and make them worthy of God’s mercy and favor. As a transient state that passes over time and lasts for as long as we are in this world, Chreistians should be more accepting of the suffering as a reflection of the fallenness of the world even as it prepared them for a life after death in paradise where they will not experience suffering again.
In light of the Christian narrative, George would interpret his suffering as a fulfilment of God’s word. The bible verses discussed in the Christian narrative show that suffering is a test to identify those who will enjoy a life without suffering in paradise after death. Despite God’s best intentions for creating Adam and Eve and placing them in the Garden of Eden, they ended up rebelling and bringing sin to the rest of their descendants who include all humans. This means that every person is born with sin. As a punishment and test, God decided that humans would suffer and their performance during the times of tribulation would determine those who would receive forgiveness for their sins and get to enjoy life in paradise after death (Genesis 2:17, KJV) PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. Suffering is unavoidable, and should be perceived as a test and reminder that life on earth is transient and we need to obey God’s word in order to enjoy eternal life in heaven. As a Christian, George should accept the suffering as a test from God. He should know that by going through the suffering, he becomes worth of God’s mercy and favor, and will enjoy life in paradise after death (Chryssides & Geaves, 2014).
As George contemplates life with ALS, the Christian worldview would inform him that life is without price and only God has the right to assign any value to life. All humans were created by God in his image, with life being given as a gift when God breathed life into Adam as the first created human (Genesis 1:26-27, KJV; Genesis 2:7, KJV). This implies that life is a favor from God, and we life by God’s grace and mercy. Job 34:14 (KJV) explains this by indicating that no being has the right to take human life except God who gave life and can withdraw breath. By extension, all life belongs to God so that every person is simply a steward of the life given by God and that will be returned to God upon death. As such, George can be considered as the steward of his life that was given by God. As a steward, he should take care of the life given by God and should never contemplate cutting that life short. Besides that, any death resultant from intentional actions, carelessness or negligence will be punished by God. This is explained in the Ten Commandments where God commands that there shall be no killing (Exodus 20:13, KJV). Any person who takes a life without just cause will in turn lose a life (Exodus 21:14, KJV). As such, George should make the best of his life with the present medical technologies and should not contemplate taking his life since it is a gift from God.
Physical suffering is inevitable for all humans, a result of the original sin by Adam and Eve. Every Christian should perceive suffering as a test. George should similarly look at his suffering as a test that will allow him get into paradise should he pass. Besides that, George should perceive his life as invaluable and that he is only a steward taking care of the gift of life given by God. As a result, he must carry on with his life and never intentionally look for ways to shorten his life. 1 Samuel 31:3-5 (KJV) specifically talks of euthanasia. It talks of King Saul who was fatally wounded and suffering. He sought to have his life shortened in order to escape posing suffering and humiliation from his enemies. However, his armor bearer refused to take his life as he respected the commandments of God. The armor bearer understood that life is a gift from God and should not be taken lightly even in the midst of suffering. Although Saul faced greater suffering and humiliation, this was a test from God that he should have borne as a Christian. This makes it clear that regardless of the situation that George faces with his ALS, he should never contemplate euthanasia under any circumstance.
God gave humans life as a gift and has clear instructions that life should be respected. In addition, God lets humans suffer as a test of their faith and in preparation for a better life in paradise. As such, George should guard the life given to him by God and go through his suffering with ALS by considering it as a test. Choosing the easy option of taking his life is not only unjustified, but also violates God’s instructions. Given this awareness, the morally justified decision for George would be to continue receiving treatment and bear the suffering until his life ends from natural causes, or until he is cured.
As a Christian and based on my worldview, I would opt to continued seeking treatment. Although I have not borne the pain and indignity of ALS, but I believe that no person will ever be exposed to suffering that he or she cannot bear. God is watching over us and always guides our lives so that whatever suffering we experience is moderated. God’s love cannot be taken for granted. As such, the only option for me as a Christian is to continue receiving treatment and explore medical technologies for ways to relieve the suffering. I would never contemplate suicide as an option since this would bar me from entering paradise.
References
Chryssides, G. & Geaves, R. (2014). The study of religion: an introduction to key ideas and methods (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic.
Ferngren, G. (2014). Medicine and religion: a historical introduction. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press
Ruggiero, V. (2015). Thinking critically about ethical issues (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
| 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.
Answer the following questions about a patient’s spiritual needs in light of the Christian worldview.
Remember 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.
You are required to submit this PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:
BS in Health Sciences 1.2; BS Nursing (RN to BSN ) 5.2
Assess for the spiritual needs and provide appropriate interventions for individuals, families, and groups.
RUBRIC
Attempt Start Date: 06-Apr-2020 at 12:00:00 AM
Due Date: 12-Apr-2020 at 11:59:59 PM
Maximum Points: 200.0
When parents apply religious beliefs concerning preferences for prayer, faith healing, or spiritual healing over conventional medical care for children, concerns occur. Medical care is one of the basic needs but parents might choose to apply religious beliefs over modern medical treatments for their children. The paper examines a case involving a parental delay of medical treatment and chose spiritual healing and provides insights into how the parents sought to have done in the light of the Christian worldview.
Allowing or not mike continue making irrational decisions
The physician, as James’ health care provider, should not have permitted Mike to go on making decisions that seem unreasonable. Even though the physician should respect the decisions that parents make concerning the care that their child should receive, the physician ethically and legally bound to intervene in situations where parents make decisions that are harmful to the health of their child. James’ parents forgone dialysis and sought spiritual healing whereby James was not healed and his condition worsened According to Shaul (2014), if the risks of doing away with treatment were less serious, the physician can the James parents’ treatment refusal. However, if the illness is seriously threatening the child’s health and the parents are refusing available effective treatment, then the physician has an ethical and legal obligation to seek state intervention. As indicated by McDougall and Notini (2014), a health care provider has an ethical justification to seek state intervention when the decision of the parents considerably increases the probability of serious damage. For a health professional to consider the utilization of state involvement to require medical care over the objections of parents, the refusal for medical treatment puts the child at a high risk of grave harm, the harm is impending, and the refused treatment is essential to avert the harm.
How a Christian ought to think about health and sickness
A Christian should think about health as a reward for doing good deeds and illness as a reward for bad deeds. God created a perfect world and saw all the things that were in it as good (Genesis 1:31). God then created a woman and a man and place them in a good world. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care. However, they sinned by disobeying God. After sinning, numerous things took place; they left the ideal place of God, and death came into the world. Therefore, from a Christian worldview, illness is an outcome of sin getting into the world. People no longer live in the ideal world that God created, and that is why there is an illness in the world.
A Christian should think that medical intervention is a way of respecting Gods command. The Bible in Matthew 9:12 talks about the sick people needing a physician and healthy people not requiring a physician. There is no anywhere in the Bible where God tells people not to seek medical treatment. In fact, medical knowledge is God’s gift. God calls people into a diverse vocation in order for their strengths to be utilized to care for other people and bring glory to him. For instance, God calls individuals to be doctors. More importantly, Luke, a writer of the Gospel was a physician. Jesus seemed to understand that doctors could use medical interventions to heal people.
As a Christian, Mike should permit James to undergo the recommended kidney transplant while praying that God will use health care providers to cure his son. Mike should not only depend on prayers to treat James’ illness that is reliably treated via modern medicine. He should see that God calls health care providers to serve others via medicine and these individuals as an answer to his prayer. So, Mike should use his faith and seek medical intervention via medical professionals whom God has offered for James’ healing.
Mike should trust that God is using medical professionals to heal James and pray to God to provide these professionals with understanding and discernment into his Child’s treatment. In honoring the principle of beneficence and non-maleficence, Mike should see that by delaying dialysis, the condition of James worsened and that his prior decision to refuse dialysis was in James’ best interest since he did more harm than good. Thus, Mike should accept a kidney transplant because it will improve his health which has greatly deteriorated. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care
How a spiritual needs assessment would help
A spiritual needs assessment would help the physician to help Mike in determining appropriate interventions for James, his family and other people involved in James’ care in identifying the spiritual needs of James’ parents as they relate to medical care and the utilization of interventions that will respect and respond to their spiritual beliefs. As Isaac et al (2016) indicate, a spiritual needs assessment provides the for talking about the experiences of patients along with their families in dealing with illnesses and the spiritual beliefs that might be in contradiction with medical decisions. An assessment will help the physician understand the spiritual beliefs of James’ family and those taking care of him and better understand them as individuals and also understand how their spiritual beliefs influence the decisions they make. An understanding of spiritual needs will enable the physician to give hope to James’ family, provide medical advice or modify medical treatment.
References
Isaac, K., Jay, J., & Lubektin, E. (2016). Incorporating Spirituality in Primary Care. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(3), 1065-1077.
McDougall, R., & Notini, L. (2014). Overriding parents’ medical decisions for their children: a systematic review of normative literature. Journal of Medical Ethics, 40(7), 448-452
Shaul, R. (2014). Pediatric Patient and Family-Centered Care: Ethical and Legal Issues. New York: Springer. PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making in Health Care.
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