Components of a Healing Hospital and Relationship to Spirituality - Essay Example

?Introduction Changes in hospital medical care in the 1970s brought about changes in giving services and approaches by many hospitals in United s and later worldwide. In the past, traditional, hospitals were focused on healing diseases, and not much care was given to patients. This notion of healing in hospitals was started by Florence Nightingale, whereby she focused on health of her patients both physically and spirituality. In addition, healing hospitals are designed to focus mainly on recovery and return to health well being; physically, emotionally and spiritually and not just curing an ailment for a patient (Young & Koopsen, 2006). Components of a Healing Hospital and Relationship to Spirituality Healing hospitals revolution and work are based on three main components as asserted by Eberst (2006). First is the focus on culture and radical care given to patients which is to aid in the recovery process. Moreover, healing hospitals are built and based on a compassion culture from health care providers. The treatment process in these hospitals involves doctors, relatives and well-wishers who are involved in making patients feel better and relax, hence accelerate the healing process. The notion here is that if the patient feels comfortable with his/her care giver, then they shall heal faster (McCormick, 2010). The second component is that of a relaxed and patient friendly physical environment, which will aid in making patients relax and heal faster (Eberst, 2006). In addition, the physical environment of the healing hospitals must be cool, quiet and relaxed with cool coloring and fresh air circulating. This is meant to aid patients to relax and sleep comfortably which, in return, accelerates the healing process. Moreover, healing hospitals also provide entertainment facilities to patients which aid in taking their mind of their illness, hence ease some of their emotional burden. There should also be the provision of decent meals to patients, in which case leads to healthy patients in both body and mind accelerating the healing process. The third component of healing hospitals is their work design and application of advanced technology in the treatment process of patients. The work design involves interaction between workers and patient while in treatment and the work procedures are applied to ensure minimal interruption or discomfort to patients. These hospitals also use technology in the treatment procedures to provide effective care and best possible treatment to patients under their care (Eberst, 2006). The concept of spirituality, which is a belief system focuses on intangible elements that impart meaning to life of people, has continued to arise in healing hospitals. Generally, healing hospitals are involved in providing a healing environment to their patients. Spirituality also varies among different patients as it cuts across different cultures and ages. Therefore, patients in hospitals are normally disturbed spiritually with pertaining issues in their health such as infirmity, suffering, loneliness and boredom, despair on not healing and the possibility of facing death (Young & Koopsen, 2006). Healing hospitals components are used to aid in raising spirits of patients and hasten healing. The culture and physical environment of these hospitals provide patients with spiritual healing environments in which patients feel calm and relaxed promoting their health and well-being. Caregivers counsel patients and give them hope and a reason to live and have a purpose in life (McCormick, 2010). Challenges of Creating a Healing Environment in Light of the Barriers and Complexities of the Hospital Environment As Chapman (2003) states in chapter 3 of the book “Radical Loving Care: Building a Healing Hospital in America”, healing hospitals are faced with some of these challenges. The first challenge is technology application and use of drugs, as he states technology advances dehumanize healing aspects of the healing profession. In addition, he claims that dependence on drugs in healing has reduced the need of loving care in the treatment process, as all is left to the machines and drugs to cure patients in hospitals. This poses a challenge on the level of technology to be used to cure patients, i.e. whether the traditional methods to be used, although taking more time, would be better than advanced technology that would heal faster, but not deal with emotions of the patients. Another challenge is the philosophical aspect that faces the caregiver in dealing with different individuals with diverse beliefs and cultures. Medical caregivers find it hard on how to relate with patients of different cultures and beliefs that they do not understand. Moreover, medical caregivers are not trained on creating emotional bonds with patients, but just to treat them without much attachment, which is a requirement for workers in healing hospitals. Bureaucracy and legal challenges on how to handle patients and their visitors are also a challenge. Normally, hospitals require a number of visitors to come in at a time for a varied period. This may create a notion of entrapment to their patients, which is an aspect that healing hospitals try to avoid, and strive to make their patients feel as comfortable and calm as possible (Chapman, 2003). Leadership and management are also factors in design and development of healing hospitals as they deal with cost benefit analysis of the hospital functionalism and costs involved in running the institution. Healing hospitals are designed to focus on the healing process, from mind, body and spirit; however, this involves a lot of equipment and resources to provide a conducive environment, which may need a lot of fund that may be limited for the management. In biblical times, the concept of healing hospitals has been supported as posited from this quote: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:13-15. Adopted from Squidoo (2012). This quote defines the very purpose of healing hospitals which is integrated to include relatives, spiritual leaders and individual spirit in the provision of treatment to patients. Healing hospitals use the principle that the body, mind and soul are unified and for anyone to be healed, he/she needs to unify all of them. Conclusion Healing hospitals have tried to integrate spiritualism, healing and modern technology in their aspiration to provide better health care services to their patients. This has been highly successful as health care providers try to exceed the traditional models of treatment where roles in treatment are divided. Traditional medicine in which treatment of illness is left to the physician, mental illness and complication to psychiatrists and spiritual problems to hospital chaplain have been revolutionized as caregivers try to provide all these at once to the patient. References Chapman, E. (2003, September,). Chapter three: Five Challenges to a Healing Hospital, in Real Loving Care: Building the Healing Hospital in America. Nashville: Baptist Healing Hospital Trust. Eberst, L. (2006). Healing hospital. Retrieved 7 July 2012, from http://www.bestcompaniesaz.com/pdf/HealingHospital.pdf Mc-Cormick, T. R. (2010, October). Ethics and Medicine: Spirituality in Medicine. University of Washington School of Medicine. Retrieved 7 July 2012, from http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/spirit.html Squidoo. (2012). Bible Verse On Healing, Bible Healing Scriptures. Retrieved from http://www.squidoo.com/bible-verse-on-healing Young, C., & Koopsen, C. (2006, January). Chapter 8: Spiritually Healing Environment in Spirituality, Health and Healing. New Jersey: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More