Spiritual Beliefs and End of Life Care

This is really a deep subject and I'm sure there will be different thoughts and perspectives. My experiences have been different here in SC because there are so many different types of religions, churches, beliefs. The people who really live their faith accept that death comes to everyone, and that God makes that decision. People who have religion may not necessarily do more than go to church on Sunday and believe that they are good Christians simply because of that. I have had the pleasure of having several dying patients that were missionaries or reverands and really had a more difficult time accepting death than others did. So I don't think that we can generalize and say that patients who rely on their religion seek treatment more than not. There are some that accept death as an opportunity to go Home and be cancer free and out of pain, who seek quality rather than quantity. Others don't want to leave their families and friends even though it is inevitable. I'm sure that I am rambling as any older person tends to do at times, but I hope that this is clearer than mud. My Hospice peers told me that I should be the Chaplain but I'm the nurse until the end.

It makes sense who are we to say how people will react to facing death...even christians who know were they are going want to feel like they have accomplished what they needed to and some just simple want to know the loved ones they are leaving behind are going to be ok.