Faith and Practice

Double-Bind for Health Care Professionals

Christian doctors, nurses and other health care providers often find themselves in a "Catch - 22" situation when it comes to caring for their patients. Medical professionals often find themselves facing patients with serious spiritual needs. Chaplains, clergy and other religious workers may not always be available to meet those needs and so the health care professional may need to step in to help their patients spiritually. However, in today's medical environment, Christian medical personnel may find it difficult to step in and meet the spiritual needs of their patients and provide spiritual care in an atmosphere of discordant thinking as to what spiritual needs are, what the cure is and what they are permitted to do about it.

A health care worker who is a Christian, responsible for caring for the spiritual needs of their patients as well as those of their family and friends may find themselves being pulled in two directions. On the one hand they may feel bound to do all in their power to bring those in their care into a relationship with God, through Jesus, in order that they might find the answer to their spiritual needs, and on the other hand may feel that this approach would not be seen as acceptable by colleagues.This is especially true in terms of the new philosophy of spirituality in health care where one faith is seen as just as valid as another.  Nurses and doctors who share their own faith in Christ may be accused of being narrow-minded or even abusing their position.

The new approach in spirituality puts Christan professionals in a quagmire. They share the responsibility to provide spiritual care to their patients, but must violate their own faith to do it! Nurses and doctors are accountable to their profession which may be ambivalent in its stance on spiritual care giving, and even hostile to the sharing of their faith.

This perspective fails to recognize that, out of a genuine compassion for the patient, the Christian doctor and nurse longs to share with his or her patients the source of freedom and wholeness which he or she has found.  We must emphasize the value of the professional’s own spiritual resources and the importance they play in giving spiritual care. One writer explains that Christian health care professionals are whole persons and that their spiritual life is relevant to his or her understanding of human beings and the world.They must never allow their faith in Jesus Christ to be viewed as less than it is: the source of all healing and all wholeness. Jesus said that He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life". Medical professionals should not be spiritually neutralized by the secularized philosophy prevalent in their work environment. Given their faith committment, how they not help but share their faith in order to meet the spiritual needs of those they care for.