PHI-413V Topic 1 DQ 1 – How can the perspective of Christian spirituality influence the way in which you demonstrate compassionate care?
How can the perspective of Christian spirituality influence the way in which you demonstrate compassionate care?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
Example PHI-413V Topic 1 DQ 1 – How can the perspective of Christian spirituality influence the way in which you demonstrate compassionate care?
Compassionate Caring Through a Christian Ethical Lens
Compassionate caring, from the perspective of Christian spirituality and ethics, is deeply rooted in the belief that every human being possesses inherent dignity and worth. This perspective informs an approach to health and healing that prioritizes holistic care, selfless service, and a commitment to alleviating suffering. Christian spirituality calls for a model of care that not only addresses physical illness but also nurtures emotional and spiritual well-being, recognizing that healing extends beyond the body.
A central tenet of compassionate caring in Christian ethics is the understanding that all people are created in the image of God. This belief shapes how healthcare providers engage with patients, ensuring that every person—regardless of their circumstances—is treated with respect and kindness. Bogue and Hogan (2020) emphasize the importance of upholding dignity in healthcare settings, particularly when working with vulnerable populations. This means taking the time to listen, providing care with patience, and treating each individual as more than just a medical case. For example, when working with patients facing chronic illness, a spiritually informed approach would involve not only managing symptoms but also addressing feelings of fear, grief, and uncertainty.
Christian spirituality also encourages caregivers to embody Christ-like love in their interactions. The Gospel in Matthew 25:40 emphasizes serving others with humility and compassion, where Jesus teaches that caring for those in need is akin to serving Him (Bible Gateway, 2011). In a healthcare setting, this might manifest in simple yet profound ways, such as offering a reassuring presence to a frightened patient, advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves, or ensuring that end-of-life care respects the emotional and spiritual needs of both patients and their families. Compassionate caring in this sense is not just about medical interventions—it is about being fully present and engaged in the healing journey of each patient.
Additionally, the Christian ethical framework informs a caregiver’s responsibility to act with integrity and justice. The principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence—doing good and avoiding harm—are central to Christian bioethics (Varkey, 2020). Healthcare professionals are called to provide care that enhances well-being while also protecting the vulnerable. This might involve difficult ethical decisions, such as balancing patient autonomy with medical recommendations or navigating moral dilemmas in end-of-life care. A spiritually guided approach ensures that such decisions are made with compassion, wisdom, and a deep respect for human life.
Ultimately, compassionate caring in Christian spirituality and ethics is about honoring the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. It calls for a practice of healthcare rooted in love, dignity, and service, ensuring that patients not only receive treatment but also experience peace, hope, and human connection throughout their healing process.
References
Bible Gateway. (2011). Matthew 25:40 NIV – – bible gateway. Www.biblegateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025%3A40&version=NIV
Bogue, D., & Hogan, M. (2020). Practicing dignity: An introduction to christian values and decision making in health care. Lc.gcumedia.com. https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/1
Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119
Example 2 of PHI-413V Topic 1 DQ 1 – How can the perspective of Christian spirituality influence the way in which you demonstrate compassionate care?
It is fascinating to see how deeply religion and spirituality can influence a patient’s health and overall well-being. Holistic care reminds us that humans are multidimensional beings, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual, and addressing spiritual needs is just as crucial as treating physical ailments (Sulmasy, 2024). Everyone has spiritual needs, whether they are healthy or facing illness. Spiritual care is all about empowering individuals through meaningful interventions: helping them cope with stress, offering counseling, interpreting life events, and providing a listening ear or belief support. At its core, spiritual care begins with compassion and connection (Guo et al., 2024).
For nurses, this means building safe, trusting relationships with patients, showing empathy, and genuinely listening to their concerns and values. It also involves understanding how a patient’s religious beliefs shape their perception of illness and supporting those beliefs in ways that feel authentic to them (Guo et al., 2024). These small but powerful acts of compassion can work wonders, boosting patient satisfaction, speeding up recovery, and even reducing hospital stays and treatment costs. Scholars emphasize that spiritual nursing care is about nurturing the human spirit through meaningful connections, fostering a sense of interconnectedness between nurse and patient to promote spiritual health (Sulmasy, 2024).
A great example of this comes from a study on neonatal nurses, who actively engaged in spiritual care practices for parents with identified spiritual needs. Nearly 88% of the nurses in the study paid close attention to what was sacred to parents, whether religious items such as rosary beads, crosses, or inspirational texts, or symbolic objects such as a red string on a baby’s wrist (Sulmasy, 2024). These thoughtful gestures show how spiritual care can be woven into everyday nursing practice, creating a healing environment that honors the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. It is a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the smallest acts of compassion can have the most significant impact (Guo et al., 2024).
References
Guo, W., Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Chen, R., Qi, W., Deng, J., & Cui, J. (2024). Competence and perceptions of spiritual care among clinical nurses: A multicentre cross‐sectional study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 33(4), 1432–1443. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocn.16932
Sulmasy, D. P. (2024). Physicians, spirituality, and compassionate patient care. New England Journal of Medicine, 390(12), 1061-1063. https://spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/files/2024/03/CSTH-Newsletter_April_2024.pdf
PHI 413 Topic 2: God, Humanity, and Human Dignity – Topic 2 DQ 1
How can the Christian concept of the imago Dei inform a holistic perspective of the patient within their family and community?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
PHI 413 Topic 2 DQ 2
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
PHI 413 Topic 2 Assignment – Moral Status: Case Analysis
This assignment will focus on introducing you to the question of human dignity and, in particular, the Christian perspective of the intrinsic worth and value of each person. You will have the opportunity to integrate this insight with scientific and philosophical approaches that inform judgements made in health care and contrast it with secular approaches to human value and worth. The logic of human rights will be made explicit as you engage with different concepts of “moral status.”
Based on your reading of the “Case Study: Fetal Abnormality” and topic Resources, complete the “Moral Status: Case Analysis” document, in which you will analyze the case study in relation to the following:
- Christian view of the nature of human persons, theory of moral status, intrinsic human value, and dignity
- Theory or theories used by individuals in the case to determine the moral status
- How each theory used determines or influences recommendations for action
- Moral status theory personal response
- Integration of knowledge in health care (theories, multiple ways of knowing, evidence) and knowledge from other disciplines inform and support current or future professional health care practices and judgements
Support your response using only Chapter 2 from the textbook Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care and the Topic 2 Resource “The Image of God, Bioethics, and Persons With Profound Intellectual Disabilities.”
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education
This assignment aligns with AACN Core Competencies: 1.3
PHI 413 Topic 3: Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative – Topic 3 DQ 1
The four principles of biomedical ethics, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, have often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. Based on your worldview, how do you rank the importance of each of the four principles in order to protect the health and safety of diverse populations?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
PHI 413 Topic 3 DQ 2
According to the four parts of the Christian biblical narrative (i.e., creation, fall, redemption, and restoration) that informs us about the nature of God, where would you find comfort and hope in the midst of sickness and disease?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
PHI 413 Topic 3 Assignment: Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative: Case Analysis
This assignment will incorporate a common practical tool in helping clinicians begin to ethically analyze a case. Organizing the data by means of the four boxes approach to analyze the case will help you apply the four principles (beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for autonomy, and justice).
Based on the reading of the “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy” and topic Resources, you will complete the “Applying the Four Principles: Case Study” document by including the following:
Part 1: Chart
This chart will formalize the application of the four boxes approach by organizing the data from the case study according to the relevant principles of biomedical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
Part 2: Evaluation
This part includes questions that evaluate how the four principles approach would be applied according to the Christian worldview.
Support your response using only Chapter 3 from the textbook Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care and the Topic 3 Resource “Rising to ‘The Highest Morals’ -The Rich History of Nursing Ethics.”
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
