Similarities and Differences Between the Jewish, Catholic and Islamic Religious Communities in Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life in Palliative Care

Abstract

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are most pronounced in palliative and end-of-life care, where we meet the most demanding and complex needs of nursing care. The research discuss-es the importance of ethics, religion and spirituality in palliative care, from the perspective of three monotheistic religions and the emphasis on end-of-life ethical dilemmas and how religious beliefs can affect end-of-life medical care and nursing. The importance of ethics, religion and spirituality is presented in the research within three basic ethical principles, such as withholding and withdrawal of treatment, unjustified treatment and treatment with palliative sedation, and tried to justify its assessment in light of Jewish, Catholic and Islamic perspectives. Methods: The research used a qualitative research methodology and descriptive method of work. A partially semi-structured open interview was used as the research instrument. The research included nine participants, among whom three were from the Catholic, three from the Jewish and three from the Islamic religious community, including an official rep-resentative of each religious community. Other participants, members of the mentioned religious communities, were employees of the health care institutions. Results: The research identified four main topics: recognizing the importance of religion in palliative care, providing spiritual (religious) care, the importance of religion in ethical issues and dilemmas, and awareness in recognizing cultural and religious differences in palliative care. Discussion: Religion enters palliative care as a defender of inalienable human dignity, as an advocate of the concept of the sanctity of life and a carrier of the provision of spiritual care. End-of-life care with different ethical dilemmas requires a structured approach across each patient’s different value systems. The contribution of religious communities to the organiza-tional structures of palliative care is also indispensable in recognizing and raising awareness of cultural and religious differences. With regard to the increasing diversity, more emphasis needs to be placed on cultural and ethical competences in the provision of palliative care. The pandemic offered us an opportunity to reflect on the true importance of palliative care and end-of-life care decisions, including the importance of spiritual care, which poses an ad-ditional challenge for health professionals.