A Christian Understanding of the Human Person and
Its Importance to the Moral Practice of
Caring Relationships in Nursing
Lynn Kellems

The research, thought and discussion that has gone into this paper builds upon the foundational truths of personhood and interpersonal relationships. The framework on which these truths depend is that of God's love for his human creation, a creation that has often rejected his love, as demonstrated throughout Scripture. This rejection of God and his truth has overwhelming consequences for how we live our lives in relationship.

As a relational person these issues are of interest. But as a nurse, I engage them continually and therefore, they are critical to my profession. While I have tried to incorporate secular thinking--both current and historical--on these issues, my main intent has been to draw upon the truth and wisdom of Scripture and allow this to be the authority in formulating my ideas.

The nature of the role for nursing and what is its definition has been receiving much attention from within the profession. Nurses work in a complex environment, full of variables which tug and pull on them from many sides. Economic, legal, ethical and professional expectations must all be considered when describing the essence of nursing. But, always at the core of this role is concern for the patient, which leads to the subject of care. What does care really mean? How do we understand and communicate this phenomenon? What is the moral basis for our caring? It is this last question that is of supreme importance, since caring must have a moral foundation in order to continue. Because caring is selfless and other-oriented in a society that is increasingly selfish and me-oriented, our caring is in danger of eroding.

Nurses have a unique and significant role in the lives of their patients. They are present in the crucial moments of life and death, as well as the numerous transitions in between. Nurses hold the privileged position of teaching--a new mom how to feed and bathe her newborn, a patient what to expect after surgery, or a diabetic how to give their insulin injection. Nurses have the responsibility to report to the physician their patient's condition and response to treatment, but it is their judgment and understanding of priorities and disease processes that tell them when to notify a physician and what information to include as significant. Nurses allay fears, offer reassurance, and are present to comfort when the pain is still there. Speaking up for the patient is a key role for the nurse. For the patient who is unconscious or powerless in a strange and overwhelming environment, the nurse is their voice of advocacy.

These are just some of the many ways in which a nurse cares for a patient, and critical to this multifaceted caring must be an unconditional regard for the human person. If this is not present one can only imagine the possible outcomes in the above examples. Patients are dependent upon our professional caring and this caring cannot have as its foundation, self-absorption, contempt for persons or regarding them as a means for achieving an end. Instead, caring must have a basis which respects and values the individual and is able to care for them beyond what is observable in their behavior. These are tenants of the Christian perspective, and it is this perspective that I hope to develop in the following pages.

Part I of this paper will present the health-care culture in order to appreciate the context in which nurses and patients function. This section will discuss the culture in terms of the obstacles to care it contains, and then describe the hospital environment in terms of what it may mean to the patient. Part II will survey some of the prominent philosophies of the art and science of caring in nursing today and provide a critique of these models. A Christian understanding of the human individual and why this framework is essential to caring will comprise Part III. Finally, Part IV will include an integration of the Christian perspective on caring with actual practice. It is here that I will put forth suggestions for how to relate to ourselves, the patient, and our colleagues, in terms of the Christian view of personhood. I will include exemplars from actual situations which serve to illustrate in a negative or positive way how the caregiver regards a person as exalted, while usually very aware of their fallenness. Finally, the conclusion will incorporate summarizing statements, as well as questions for further thought and study.