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Hospital Care

TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
edited November 2005 in Buddhism Today
I have an assignment 'how should a nurse care for Buddhist patients'... can you help please?

Comments

  • AbrahamAbraham
    edited October 2005
    Hello and Welcome!

    Exactly the same way as they would treat any non Buddhist, for as far as I know there are no specific treatments that are not allowed. I am sure that others that will correct me if I am wrong.
  • KBuckKBuck
    edited October 2005
    I agree. It would probably be a relief to care for a buddhist patient. Such a patient will most likely take active measures to ensure the happiness of the caregiver.
  • Argon.AidArgon.Aid Veteran
    edited October 2005
    They should treat them as they would treat any other patient..Why the question though?Do Buddhist patients have special rights?:scratch:
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited October 2005
    Unless you mean life support and stuff like that there's not much difference...

    Life support systems can be allowed from my point of view... I mean there's nothing much here, just the artificial prolonging of life, that reflects a little bit on the family's selfishness... But if you are gonna tell me that he's supposed to die sooner or later I'd just tell you to murder yourself now, since you'll die sooner or later too...
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    Abraham wrote:
    Hello and Welcome!

    Exactly the same way as they would treat any non Buddhist, for as far as I know there are no specific treatments that are not allowed. I am sure that others that will correct me if I am wrong.


    I was thinking on the linesof meals (vegetarian or not) blood transfusions, etc.
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited October 2005
    Well Muslims can request for halal meals can they not? Best is ask the Buddhist beforehand to see his dietary preferences. Not all Buddhists are vegans.
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    yes, Jews ask for kosher too, but... I didn't say vegans, I wondered about vegetarian only...and what about transfuions?
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    every human has special rights, as far as I'm concerned, and so does every animal, for that matter.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited October 2005
    As far as I am aware there are no specific Buddhist requirements when treating a person in hospital. the only ones I am sure I would request if I were in hospital are to be treated as well as any person could expect to be. And pistachio ice cream on demand. Thank you.
  • AbrahamAbraham
    edited October 2005
    As far as I am aware the subject of Blood transfusions are only an issue for Jehovah's Witnesses.
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    a bit of mint with the pistaccio would be nice. Would you want a blood transfusion, or would you want to die?
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    Some people don't want them, whatever faith they profess, not as an 'issue'.Likeyou don't WANT to eat meat not because you are a Sufi or a Buddhist.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited October 2005
    Tanja Cilia wrote:
    I have an assignment 'how should a nurse care for Buddhist patients'... can you help please?

    I was answering the question from the specific Buddhist perspective as requested in your original question.... ;):)
    Tanja Cilia wrote:
    Would you want a blood transfusion, or would you want to die?

    . As for my personal choice, I couldn't possibly say... I'd have to defer until faced with the actual circumstances and all the possible permutations. Would prolonging my life, in my view, be the most logical and sensible thing to do, for example? But that wouldn't have anything specifically to do with my Buddhist faith, necessarily....
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited October 2005
    I'd get for a blood transfusion definitely. It's better to die prepared than to die suddenly. Not that I don't prepare for death now, but I know when it finally comes I'll just panick and forget everything.
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    Actually, dying is just passing on,so technically you're always supposed to be prepared for dying. If you're ok with tveryone, there's no fear,panic or worry involved.If you've been close to death you'd understand that.
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited October 2005
    Close to death? Maybe once when I was small and I almost drowned in the pool... Pulled up some woman's leg to go to the surface, sadly endangered her own life...

    But I simply just think that even with all these preparations I'll surely panick. It's only how intensive the panic is at the moment, and what I can do to lessen it. You definitely will feel panic upon death, unless you are sufferring from some illness diagnosed some time ago that allowed you time to think. But if it was let's say a car crash, I wouldn't be that prepared. A calm but extended mind is still better for rebirth than a hurried but natural mind.
  • twobitbobtwobitbob
    edited October 2005
    Dying in hospital for anyone is pretty grim. There are standards of palliative care in the community/hospices but these don't seem to apply in hospital where the nurses are too busy to look after anything but the physical.
  • TanjaCiliaTanjaCilia
    edited October 2005
    That is why there are people whose mission in life is to visit the sick (it's an Act of Mercyin the Catholic religion,and no doubt inothers too).
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited October 2005
    Well, there are some specific Buddhist (at least Vajrayana) instructions for handling the dead and dying. When dying, those treating the patient or around the patient should be as quiet and respectful as possible so that the person enters death without any negative emotions, such as anger or fear. It is taught that dying in the grip of anger or fear can lead to rebirth in the lower realms. Thus they should be made as comfortable as possible. After death, the Buddhist way is to handle the body as little as possible for the first few hours after death. This is difficult in a hospital setting, I know, but something to keep in mind. This is done to prevent the consciousness from being upset in any way. Another small suggestion would be to not handle the body below the neck while dying or immediately after death. The best thing would be to pull gently on the hair at the top of the head. This is done to direct the consciousness towards the crown chakra as it is taught that if the consciousness departs the body via the crown chakra rebirth will be taken in Amitabha's Pure Land. Whispering Amitabha's mantra, OM AMI DEWA HRI, is also most excellent, though it might be upsetting for any family present. Of course, the wishes of the patient and family must come first before doing any of this. It's also important to limit expressions of grief in the immediate vicinity of the dead person as this can also be upsetting to the consciousness and make it difficult for them to depart the body.

    Palzang
  • JerbearJerbear Veteran
    edited November 2005
    Usually on admission, we do ask the family of patients if their are any specific religious requests that they have so we are aware right from the start. In the ICU, we have so many different people of different faiths, it is always a learning experience. Even within the Christian realm, different sects have different ideas.

    Being as respectfully as possible, we do have to prepare bodies for the morgue. We usually give the family about 2 hours with the deceased but we also have to think about rigor mortis. We do completely bathe the deceased since we usually take multiple lines out of them and some body fluids escape after death. We do this in a quiet manner usually as we are never sure what one's perspective is. Also, the funeral home usually knows a lot more about that stuff than we do.

    Just a nurse's 2 cents worth.
  • AdianaAdiana
    edited November 2005
    federica wrote:
    As far as I am aware there are no specific Buddhist requirements when treating a person in hospital. the only ones I am sure I would request if I were in hospital are to be treated as well as any person could expect to be. And pistachio ice cream on demand. Thank you.


    Fed,

    I gotta have my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream! HEHEHE!

    Adiana:mullet: :wavey: :grin: :usflag:
  • AdianaAdiana
    edited November 2005
    federica wrote:
    As far as I am aware there are no specific Buddhist requirements when treating a person in hospital. the only ones I am sure I would request if I were in hospital are to be treated as well as any person could expect to be. And pistachio ice cream on demand. Thank you.


    Fed,

    I gotta have my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream! HEHEHE!

    Seriously though, I agree with you. I don't think that there are any differences between Buddhists and other religions. I think that most people will tell you the specifics, if any, of their particular belief system. I don' t know this for sure, though.

    Adiana:mullet: :wavey: :grin: :usflag:
  • JerbearJerbear Veteran
    edited November 2005
    Make sure your doctor writes that as an order or some mean RN (most likely me) will follow the diet he ordered for you. But if you're in my unit (ICU), ice cream will be the last thing you'll want.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited November 2005
    In view of the many times patients' notes are mislaid or unread, my GP has suggested that, alongside my Living Will, I have DNR tatooed in large capitals across my chest.
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