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Cultural and Religion Sensitive Care

This document provides information about caring for Christian patients from different denominations. It discusses the core beliefs of Christianity and then focuses on specific practices for Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, and Seventh Day Adventist patients. For each group, it outlines their beliefs, practices around dying/death, health considerations, rituals, and holy days/festivals to facilitate culturally sensitive care for Christian patients from various traditions.

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CULTURAL AND RELIGION SENSITIVE CARE CARING FOR CHRISTIAN PATIENTS JHESSIE L. ABELLA, RN,RM,MAN,CPSO,SMRIN
WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY AND WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?  The core beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected, and thereby offers salvation to all who will receive Him in faith.  Unique among all other faiths, Christianity is more about a relationship than religious practices. Instead of adhering to a list of “do’s and don’ts,” the goal of a Christian is to cultivate a close walk with God. That relationship is made possible because of the work of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  All Christians believe in:  One God who is almighty, just, and merciful.  Jesus Christ who is the messiah and son of God.  Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Eternal life through faith in Jesus.  Following of the Bible, which includes the Old Testament and the New Testament.
 Based on the CIA World Fact book (2010), Christians occupy the major religion in the world.
BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY EASTERN ORTHODOXROMAN CATHOLICS CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS (MORMON) JEHOVAH’ WITNESS PROTESTANTS SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST Catholics comprise 50 percent of all Christians worldwide and 16 percent of the world's total population.
ROMAN CATHOLICISM  BELIEFS  Strong tradition of liturgy (ceremony).  Emphasis on practices (usually termed, sacraments), including: baptism, Eucharist, prayers for the sick, holy orders, marriage, confirmation and confession/penance.  Dedication to creeds (formulated statements of beliefs).  Belief in Apostolic succession in leadership, meaning leaders are male successors of the original apostles of Jesus.  DAILY PRACTICES  Prayers at table, bedside and other times.  May desire daily Eucharist or attendance at Mass.  Use of sacramental or aids in the spiritual life, such as rosary beads/prayer, holy images, candles, etc.  FACILITATING PRACTICES  Ask patient and family about preferred practices.  Ask about rituals and needs such as Eucharist/Communion or anointing.  Provide for privacy as needed.
ROMAN CATHOLICISM  DYING AND DEATH  Belief in life after death.  Persons experiencing grave suffering and/or approaching death are usually encouraged to compare their suffering to that of Christ’s.  Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick very important for the seriously ill, frail and elderly. Used to be called Last Rites.  Autopsy and Organ Donation acceptable.  Body to be treated with respect.  Wakes encouraged- usually in a funeral home the day before the funeral.  Funeral Mass is the norm but can be replaced with a funeral version of Liturgy of the Word.  Graveside service is also typical.
ROMAN CATHOLICISM  HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS  Traditional Christian holidays as well as observance of special holy days when attendance at Mass is viewed as an obligation.  Holidays such as Christmas and Easter are celebrated as a season, not only for one significant day.  PREGNANCY AND BIRTH  Natural means of birth control only.  Abortion and sterilization prohibited.  Artificial means of conception are discouraged.  Baptism of infants may be required and urgent if prognosis is grave
ROMAN CATHOLICISM  SPIRITUAL INSTRUMENTS, STRUCTURE AND SYMBOLS  Rosary (prayer beads).  Holy water.  Incense.  Saints, especially Mary the mother of Jesus and saints associated with healing.  Jesus pictures and statues; crucifix (cross with corpus of Jesus).  Name of Jesus is important.  Only (male) priest can offer Sacraments.  Leadership includes priest (Father), deacon (Mr. or Deacon), nuns (Sister) and brothers (Brother), whom all have taken vows, as well as Eucharistic ministers (lay-men and women who bring  Eucharist/communion); chaplains, both men and women, who are specially trained and certified.
JEHOVAH’S WITNESS  BELIEFS  No Holy Trinity. God is the Father, while Jesus Christ is His son, a separate person. The Holy Spirit is God’s motivating force.  Do not participate in nationalistic ceremonies (e.g. saluting the flag),and do not give gifts at holidays or celebrate traditional Christian days.  Believe that after world is restored to state of paradise; beneficiaries of Christ will be resurrected with healthy, perfected physical bodies, and will inhabit earth.  DYING AND DEATH  Death is a state of total unconsciousness.  Euthanasia forbidden.  Autopsy acceptable if legally required.  Donation of body or organs is a personal choice.  HEALTH  Likely to be strongly opposed to blood transfusion.  Medications from blood products may not be acceptable.  Use of extraordinary means to prolong life or right to die is individual choice
JEHOVAH’S WITNESS  FOOD  Avoid food that contains blood.  PREGNANCY AND BIRTH  Abortion and artificial insemination by a donor are forbidden.  Birth control is an individual choice.  No infant baptism.  SPIRITUAL INSTRUMENTS, STRUCTURE AND SYMBOLS  None  HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS  Meetings are held 3 times a week in local Kingdom Halls with focus on education.  Weekly meetings in homes.  Most important meeting of the year is a congregational celebration of the memorial of Christ’s sacrificial death.
MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS)  BELIEFS  Centered and focused on Jesus Christ as the Firstborn of God.  Members are literal spiritual sons and daughters of a living Father in Heaven.  Mortality is a probationary period in which people are tested to see if they will obey the Lord’s commandments given through ancient and current prophets.  Building of temples where sacred and personal covenants can be entered into with the Lord.  DYING AND DEATH  Belief that all individuals will be resurrected, and will attain degree of glory in heaven for those qualified from acts during their mortality.  Euthanasia not practiced.  Promote peaceful and dignified death if inevitable.  Organ donation an individual choice.  Autopsy permitted.
MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS)  BELIEFS  Coffee, tea, tobacco and alcohol are discouraged.  Fasting (no food or drink for 24 hours) required once each month - ill people not required to fast.  HEALTH  Faith healing (faith in Jesus Christ and power of priesthood to heal) and medical care/treatment used together.  No restrictions on blood, blood products or medications.  HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS  Follow basic Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter, as well as national holidays and church specific holidays.
MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS)  RITUALS OR CEREMONIES  Two elders required for ritual of blessing of the sick.  SPIRITUAL INSTRUMENTS, STRUCTURE AND SYMBOLS  King James Version of Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon and other scriptures.  No formal clergy but designated leaders for specific roles, including Bishops and Elders.
CARING FOR THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST PATIENT
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST PATIENT  SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS  SATURDAY is observed as the SABBATH for rest and worship and is reckoned from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset.  The patient should be asked about DIETARY needs since many adherents will be vegetarian and others will only eat certain meats.  BELIEFS  Bible is interpreted literally.  Believe it is a duty to warn others to prepare for second coming of Christ.  Body considered temple of God and must be kept healthy.  Operate one of world’s largest religious health care systems.  DYING AND DEATH  Euthanasia not practiced.  Autopsy, donation of body or organs acceptable.  Disposal of body and burial are individual decisions.  Death is held to be a state of unconsciousness with a return to  consciousness coming at the Second Advent- the second coming of Christ.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST PATIENT  HEALTH  Believe healing can be accomplished both through medical intervention and divine healing.  Chaplains and physicians are inseparable.  Emphasize physical medicine, rehabilitation and therapeutic diets.  No restrictions on medications, blood or blood products or vaccines.  Some may not condone use of narcotics or stimulants.  No restrictions on surgical procedures.  PREGNANCY AND BIRTH  Birth control is an individual choice.  Abortion is discouraged but the choice is left to the conscience of the woman.  Opposed to infant baptism.  RITUALS AND CEREMONIES  Pastors and elders may pray and anoint ill person with oil.