Modern hospitals operate under financial restrictions, resulting in intervention-centric care that generally does not go beyond meeting the bottom line of financial obligations. As a result, morale issues among hospital staff and mediocre working conditions tend to be the norm, leading to compromised health care provision. Change is sorely needed, especially considering the current, dismal state of the health care system. Embracing the radical paradigm of hospitals as nurturing, healing communities can and will help improve outcomes.
The core idea of a healing hospital is that love is at the center of healing. From this basis, the healing hospital is a place where “patients, their families and friends, caregivers… and the community can all journey towards wellness” (Zarren, n.d.). Healthcare providers in a healing hospital still use the latest in scientific and medical methods, but what distinguishes them from their brethren in other hospitals is that they provide equal attention to spiritual demands, i.e. they must tend to both the heart and the head.
The healing hospital concept embraces three key components. The first is a “healing physical environment.” This concept not only takes into consideration patient care, but also how hospital staff engages with families as caregivers. Hence, the hospital environment is designed to be as welcoming, loving, compassionate, and aesthetically pleasing as possible, in order to help patients and families cope with stress and illness. There are a variety of ways to achieve this, e.g. having personalized rooms for each patient that reflects his/her personal interests, no visiting hour limitations for patients’ families, and free massages and music. By prioritizing people and the value of human interaction, the healing process can be expedited, and trust and a sense of community can develop among patients, families, and caregivers (Zarren, n.d.). Additionally, medical facilities that create and promote a quiet atmosphere...