Catholicism

This week's topic was based off of Catholicism. Because this culture is somewhat new to me, this week I will share about the things I learned about Catholics. 


Lesson's Learned: What is Catholicism? And what do they believe? Why is baptism important to the Catholic beliefs. 

Catholicism is a religion similar to Christianity in a sense that they believe in a higher being, God. They ultimately believe that all human beings are made in God's image and thus God is their Father and creator of all things. The Catholic Church is a group of individuals within a community, who outwardly express their belief and love for God and His son, Jesus Christ. Catholics believe God is made up of three divine personages, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Additionally, Catholics call their belief in three persons in one God, "The mystery of the Blessed Trinity." It is believed that through living a good life and having faith they are able to show their love for God. 

Catholics profess their beliefs by being baptized to show their dedication and acceptance of the church, and promise to follow God's teachings. This sacred sacrament of baptism, is something that many Christian Churches have in common. However, within the Catholic Church, the practice of baptism occurs at a much younger age, infancy. Baptism is performed to help free the child from the "original sin" they were born with and to welcome them into the Catholic faith. This concept of "original sin" is not in relation to the actions the infant committed, but is in reference to the sins committed from past generations passed down through birth. Thus, because of this belief of all persons being born with "original sin", Catholics strongly believe that only through baptism it will cleanse an individual from their sins. Because of this belief in baptism, Catholics find it vital to do for the salvation of an individual's soul. 

#nursingbyCOURTNEY... how does this knowledge apply to me as a nurse? 
The role of a nurse is to care and provide aid to patients during their healing process. Throughout many years of research and evolving, caring for a patient's spiritual needs has become part of the dimension of nursing practice. I personally believe that recognizing a person's spiritual needs along with physical and emotional needs will best aid in holistic healing. Although I don't think nurses need to perform or participate in religious rituals, it is important to help assist a patient in creating a spiritual plan of care. As nurses,  I believe it is vital we show support and understanding to our patients spiritual needs and religious beliefs.  

Courtney's "Two-Cent's" 
My entire life I have wanted to become a nurse, particularly a NICU nurse. During my rotations on the mother-baby unit this past several weeks, I have learned more about how the parents religious beliefs influence the care we give to the infant. Although I have yet to experience a baby die on the unit, I'm sure someday I will encounter it. Now knowing more about the Catholic beliefs and practices, I will better understand the concerns parents may have with getting their infant baptised if any complications are to occur. In situations like this, it will be important to show emotional and spiritual support to help parents cope with the possibilities of death of the infant. We as nurses have the opportunity to help patients through the healing process. If we are both educated and aware of our patients spiritual needs we will be better equipped to provide for their needs. 

References:
Information on catholic beliefs and baptism : http://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/catholicism/the-catholic-sacrament-of-baptism/
http://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/catholicism/basic-beliefs-of-catholicism/
Images from: http://universe.byu.edu/2013/07/30/catholics-at-home-on-byu-campus/
http://www.agapecatholicministries.com/baptism-prep
https://www.pinterest.com/amptwirl/career-choice/