While healthcare workers need to remember that spiritual care exists and may assist patients who practice any form of spirituality, it is equally crucial not to impose one’s views. Knowing a patient’s needs is essential, even if they are not particularly spiritual. However, certain groups of patients, such as terminally ill people or those who require critical care due to their disease’s nature, may suddenly discover spirituality (Gillian et al., 2017). In that case, a healthcare worker or a team equipped with knowledge of spiritual care will be valuable to help them and their families during a time of crisis (Gillian et al., 2017). It might be easier if both sides are of the same fate, but even if it is different, a medical specialist must do research and act upon the discovered information. Before doing spiritual intervening, it is necessary to obtain the patient’s consent.
One should always consider that spirituality is multifaceted, and contradictions between its various manifestations are inevitable. What a healthcare worker practicing spiritual care needs is respect and understanding. Some situations can be legally and morally dubious, such as not offering a child any treatment other than spiritual because their parents’ beliefs are against it. It is not an uncommon situation, and one should consult the state laws to see if a healthcare worker will face the consequences of following the parents’ wishes (Radcliffe, 2018). Even if not providing care is legal, a child’s condition may require immediate intervention. In that case, the care-providing side may have a spiritual crisis, as the situation goes against their principles. The solution is not simple, involving the third party’s help or discussions convincing the parents to accept the treatment (Radcliffe, 2018). Both will probably be stressful but necessary for the child patient’s well-being and one’s spiritual balance.
References
Gillilan, R., Qawi, S., Weymiller, A. J., & Puchalski, C. (2017). Spiritual distress and spiritual care in advanced heart failure. Heart Failure Reviews, 22(5), 581–591.
Radcliffe, S. (2018). When a parent’s beliefs about medicine become child abuse. Healthline.