Healing Hospital

Healing Hospital

Miranda Buck

Grand Canyon University: HLT-310V

September 11, 2016

Healing Hospital

A hospital that is focused on not only treating patients but devoted to helping the patients heal is a healing hospital.  “The word healing is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word haelen, which means to make whole”("University of Minnesota," 2013, para. 5). The healing process can be defined as the process of restoring ones harmony ("University of Minnesota," 2013). Florence Nightingale stated, “ To heal, one must be sound in body, mind, and spirit” ("University of Minnesota," 2013, p. 1). She acknowledged the importance of a holistic care and the need to nurture the patients physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. By addressing the patient as a whole on all these levels only then can we truly help patients heal.  Some factors that help contribute to a healing environment include, reducing sounds, clean smells, increased natural light, larger spaces, colors, artwork and even sensations to texture such as walking on soft carpet. “Other environmental factors of importance are entertainment, convenience and readily available information about illness, support groups and complimentary therapies” (Siefert & Hickman, 2005, p. 1). The criteria for a healing hospital is one that incorporates a healing physical environment, integrating work design with technology and people committed to compassionate care (Eberst, 2008).

Spirituality in the Hospital

Religious beliefs and practices are often a form of comfort to patients and often times fundamental to their core being. Patients often seek direction through their relationship with God. The bible states “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). Some studies have shown that patience who have regular religious practices and are more spiritual tend to live longer, have less stress in their lives and actually boost recovery time from illnesses and surgery (Puchalski, 2001). For a healing hospital to fill the needs of patient’s spiritualty they must be compassionate not only in their care but their presence as well.

Challenges of Creating Healing Environments

One of the many challenges of creating a healing environment is budget, with decreased federal payments, competition, cost of technology, system upgrades, maintenance of aging hospitals and a shortage of nurses and doctors, hospitals are feeling the strain to stay within their means (Neigher, W.D. & Hakim, S.M., 2012). Another factor that can contribute to achieving a healing hospital is education; time must be taken out to train staff on how they can incorporate their care with the patient’s spiritual perception while maintaining professional boundaries. With many nurses already feeling overworked and feeling burnt out, some may be cynical and resistant to change. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) states, “ For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”.