Until the end of the medieval period, religion, spirituality, and medicine remained integrated in the West. Monasteries housed the first hospitals, and physicians were commonly monks. As Matthews (1999) explains, “At one time, medicine and religion were so thoroughly united that a medicine man was a priest. Many cultures throughout the world still regard their healer in just this way” (p. 17).
However, medicine, spirituality, culture, and religion became separated during the scientific revolution. For many years, spiritual care fell into disuse.
Now, research-based evidence demonstrates the connection between religion, spirituality, and health (Carson & Koenig, 2008). With the increasing focus on holistic, integrative care and a multicultural society, competent healthcare professionals need to integrate cultural as well as spiritual sensitivity into their clients’ healthcare considerations. According to Eckersley (2007), human beings have many aspects:
- As physical beings, we need nutritious food, clean air and water, adequate shelter, and physical activity and sleep.
- As social beings, we need family, friends, and communities in which to flourish.
- As cultural beings, we require cultures to make life meaningful and worthwhile.
- As spiritual beings, we are deeply connected to our world.
While all people are equal and deserve to be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect, all people do not share the same values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. The United States demonstrates the truth of this statement through its unique blending of native and nonnative peoples. Other countries also experience the blend of people, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. In addition, because of advancements in technology, travel, and communication systems, people of many different cultures enjoy contact with each other (Hitchcock, Schubert, & Thomas, 2002).
Today’s healthcare professionals are presented with the challenge of providing a level of care that respects different cultural values and cultural belief systems. Meeting these varied needs in a multicultural society is an essential part of healthcare.
Understanding and respecting diverse cultural populations and their religious and spiritual beliefs allows healthcare professionals to effectively and compassionately address the special health concerns of their clients and is an important part of providing culturally competent, effective clinical and spiritual care.
The provision of healthcare needs to encompass a holistic perspective—one that attends to all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit—and address care in an integrative way, respecting the cultural beliefs of individuals receiving care. Healthcare professionals who understand the importance of integrating cultural sensitivity with spirituality can provide higher-quality care (Davidhizar, Bechtel, & Juratovac, 2000).