Science and religion aren’t always on the best of terms. We could get detailed but you probably know what is meant. That tension cuts both ways, with doctors and nurses who have strong religious beliefs often being forced to table their faith when they walk into the hospital.
Faith-based care provides the best of both worlds. Not only does it allow nurses and doctors to leverage state-of-the-art medical insights, but it also empowers them to provide spiritual and emotional support in a way that is otherwise impossible in healthcare.
In this article, we take a comprehensive look at faith-based pediatric care, how it works, and why it can be an important component of helping children with their physical and spiritual development.
What is Faith-Based Pediatric Care?
Pediatric care, of course, refers to medical services administered to children. In ideal circumstances, this is primarily preventative and administered by a pediatric general practitioner, or pediatrician.
However, any care given to children ultimately falls under the pediatric umbrella.
The faith-based aspect of pediatric care does not subtract any scientific component of medicine. A faith-based nurse or doctor will leverage the same insights as a secular one.
Is a faith-based care provider simply a doctor or nurse who has religious convictions?
Not quite. While it is religious belief that motivates someone to acquire a faith-based endorsement, the actual title requires a specialized certification.
With this endorsement, they are able to provide a religious component to their service. That might mean filtering a diagnosis through a spiritual lens. It might also mean praying with a patient, or even reading a spiritual text with them.
For someone with strong religious beliefs, this can sound like a pretty good deal. Are there any actual benefits to faith-based care for the patient?
Of course! In the next few headings, we will take a look at how this unique form of care can lead to better outcomes.
It Makes Patients More Comfortable with their Care Providers
Developing trust between the patient and the care provider can be difficult. Have you ever been on the patient side of a medical process that required more than a stethoscope and maybe a vaccine? If so you probably interacted with not one but multiple strangers.
When the tests were complete, the incomprehensible results were presented by one or more of those strangers, probably in five minutes or less, and conveyed in a way that suggested they cared very little for if you understood what they were saying.
And you probably didn’t.
Such is the typical experience with the American healthcare system. Even small points of connection can help override the impersonal aspect of healthcare. Faith, of course, is much more than a “small,” point of connection.
Faith-based practice helps ensure that the patient can trust that they share a perspective with their care provider.
Keep in mind that this is particularly important for a child who may already be very uncomfortable with the experience. They won’t know very much at all about what is going on with their health, but they will understand that the person taking care of them believes the same things about life that they do.
It Makes Hard News Easier to Swallow
Unfortunately, healthcare news isn’t always positive. Faith-based practitioners are able to deliver their medical insights through a spiritual filter in a way that might make it easier for the patient to cope.
In pediatric care, this consideration extends to the family as well. A child who has been given a difficult diagnosis will almost certainly have a household of other people who are just as emotionally disturbed by the situation as they are.
Faith-based practitioners can work with everyone who is affected, praying with them and contextualizing the issue in faith.
It Can Improve Outcomes
To what extent will depend on the individual. While the literature supporting what influence faith and prayer have on medical outcomes is complicated it is pretty well-established that patients who feel confident in their care tend to do better than those who do not.
Faith-based practice can do a lot to help a patient—regardless of their age—feel better about the process they are going through.
Where do Faith-Based Practitioners Work?
Generally speaking, they will go on to work at religious hospitals. Alternatively, they may go into private practice. For example, a pediatrician’s office might advertise the religious components of their practice.
Certainly, this does not mean that all of their patients will share their religious beliefs but it does mean that the clinic will hold a special appeal to those who do.
Many secular hospitals will include faith-based components to their care—often in the form of chaplains, and even small chapels located within the building. However, they may not go so far as to hire a faith-based practitioner.
Still, you never know. Some hospitals may be interested in hiring faith-based doctors or nurses as a way of detangling cultural barriers. Many patients with strong religious beliefs might be worried that a secular hospital might not reflect their values. The presence of faith-based practices might alleviate those concerns in communities with a high religious population.
Conclusion
Interested in giving faith-based practice a try? While there are many positions available around the country, access will vary based on location. Catholic hospitals are relatively easy to come across, but if you are looking for a specific denomination, you may need to consider relocating or driving considerable distances for your work.
Is it worth all that effort?
The answer will ultimately depend on your priorities. While every healthcare worker makes a positive difference in the world, faith-based practitioners can dive a little deeper into what matters the most to them. Many people find it an excellent and rewarding way to give back to their community.
