What is the Christian concept of the imago Dei? How might it be important to health care, and why is it relevant?

What is the Christian concept of the imago Dei? How might it be important to health care, and why is it relevant?

What is the Christian concept of the imago Dei? How might it be important to health care, and why is it relevant?

God, Humanity, And Human Dignity

According to patient-centered care, patients should be accorded care that is respective and meets their needs, consistent with their preferences and values that inform clinical decision-making (Rieg et al., 2018).  Nurses cannot achieve patient-centered care when their duties create friction with the socially established power structures and tend to provide services that are deeply rooted in systemic racism (Rieg et al., 2018).  Newbanks et al. (2018) posit that this can lead to the dehumanization as well as the marginalization of patients with the result being poor health outcomes. Consistent with the (American Nurses Association 2022)’s code of ethics, patients have a right to be treated with dignity, worth and their inherent unique human attributes (Monroe, 2019).  The theological concept of imago Dei has significant applications to healthcare which can increase the quality of healthcare delivery.

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Christian Concept of the Imago Dei

            Imago Dei (image of God) is defined as a set of attributes that are unique to every individual and were imparted to a human being during creation and they determine someone’s spiritual nature (Secor, 2020).  One can understand the concept of the image of God by viewing it through a wide range of lenses. For example, through the substantive lens which entails the qualities and characteristics that constitute human nature (Rieg et al., 2018). Additionally, the image of God can be viewed as getting an experience of the relationship between God and humans.  On the flip side, the image of God can be defined by not the experiences or the qualities of a human being but their various assigned roles.

Healthcare Applications of the Christian Concept of the Imago Dei

Nurses are taught the impact of discrimination on those that are on the receiving end of negative prejudices.  There is enough evidence in the literature regarding the negative impacts of racism on minority communities in the USA (Monroe, 2019; Newbanks et al., 2018; Rieg et al., 2018). Racism is a well-established negative determinant of health. The 2015 National Healthcare Disparities Report has it that whites receive better quality of healthcare than 41.6% of blacks, 36.7% of Hispanics, 32% of American Indian/Native Americans and 20.7% of American Asian patients (Discrimination | Healthy People 2020, n.d.).  The nurse should advocate for all patients regardless of their race, religious background, gender orientation and values.

Even though human beings hail from different races, and cultures and have varied values, patients should be treated based on their unique needs. The clinical judgements and decisions made by nurses are more clouded by implicit and unconscious bias than their conscious values.  The types of biases manifest more specifically when nurses are stressed or have to deal with the complex nature of the profession.  However, based on the concept of the image of God, each caring encounter is holy and nurses should consider it holy ground.  For nurses to achieve care that is based on Christian values, there is a need to appreciate not only the relationship with God but also a body of knowledge and an attitude of service that is consistent with viewing human beings as created in the image of God.  In the provision of culturally competent care, studies show that nurses should incorporate a biblical framework.

In conclusion, nurses and other healthcare providers should treat patients based on established professional values such as equity and respect for their unique needs. Healthcare providers will achieve patient-centred care by incorporating the concept of imago Dei. It entails setting attitudes and work ethics based on the biblical perspective of human nature.

References

Discrimination | Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/discrimination

Monroe, H. A. (2019). Nurses’ professional values: Influences of experience and ethics education. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(9–10), 2009–2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14806

Newbanks, R. S., Rieg, L. S., & Schaefer, B. (2018). What Is Caring in Nursing?: Sorting Out Humanistic and Christian Perspectives. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), 160–167. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000441

Rieg, L. S., Newbanks, R. S., & Sprunger, R. (2018). Caring from a Christian Worldview: Exploring Nurses’ Source of Caring, Faith Practices, and View of Nursing. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), 168–173. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000474

Secor, C. (2020). Imago Dei—In the Image of God. Journal of Christian Nursing, 37(4), 201. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000773