Spirituality in Healing Hospitals
Ryan Sidebottom
April 22, 2012
HLT 310V Spirituality in Healthcare
Grand Canyon University

A growing topic in healthcare today is the focus on promoting a “healing” environment. While many consider all hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers to be healing facilities they are not recognized as such by the Baptist Healing Trust of Nashville Tennessee. To be deemed a “healing hospital” a facility possesses three key components which are not only physical in nature but spiritual as well. By recognizing the relationship between the two, a facility is able to overcome many of the barriers that present challenges for other companies. By identifying the key components and broken barriers one can distinguish the difference between a designated healing hospital and one that is not.
According to the Baptist Healing Trust of Nashville Tennessee, the three key components of a healing hospital are: A healing physical environment; the integration of work and design technology; A culture of “Radical Loving Care” (Eberst 2008). To achieve the designation of being a “healing hospital” all three of these components must be put into place from both the physical and spiritual aspect.
The component of providing a healing physical environment is much different than having a facility that has the capability of saving lives, performing surgeries, or simply treating illness. While all of these things are necessary, a healing hospital must be able to provide an atmosphere that ensures patients feel safe and secure. If a patient is not comfortable in their environment then it will prevent a restful state from being achieved. The body remains in a fight or flight situation, which is counter-productive to the healing process. Providing a nice, clean, comfortable and quiet atmosphere for the patient will go a long way towards decreasing