Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Bioethics

Biomedical progress raises ethical questions concerning the prolongation of life at any cost. This thesis focuses on Orthodox Christian perspectives on hastening patient death in . However, neither scriptures nor Orthodox Church tradition provides clear answers on when and how it is ethically permissible to discontinue medical procedures. Nor do local Orthodox churches' statements clarify these issues definitively. With the application of Orthodox teaching to medicine, life, and death, this study provides an ethical framework for resolving end-of-life issues. The overarching purpose of life according to Orthodoxy is to draw nearer to God and His kingdom, while the significance of physical ailment is the purification of one's heart for spiritual benefit. Moreover, in Orthodoxy, medicine should ultimately be targeted toward helping patients prepare spiritually for eternity, especially near the end of life. To apply such general Christian considerations to specific medical procedures, this thesis analyzes issues of hastening a patient's death through philosophical reflection. It argues that 1) if a health care professional initiates a new pathological path that causes a patient's death, he has killed the patient by active euthanasia; 2) if he refrains from saving a patient's life (by withholding or withdrawing available treatment) with the intention to kill, he kills the patient through passive euthanasia; 3) if he foregoes medically futile and burdensome treatment from a patient whom he judges to be dying, he merely removes a medical obstacle hindering that natural dying process. The crucial difference between forgoing treatment and passive euthanasia is the physician's intention, which may disclose itself via disappointment or relief because of the patient's unexpected survival after discontinuation of treatment. Thus, the general provisions of Orthodox bioethics concerning the hastening of a patient's death include 1) The prohibition against actively causing de (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ryan Nash (Advisor); Matthew Vest (Committee Member); Nicole Shirilla (Committee Member) Subjects: Medical Ethics

DNP, Otterbein University, 2021, Nursing

The healthcare perceptions of the Eastern European Orthodox Christian immigrant women (EEOCIW) to the United States (U.S.) are under-represented in the literature. Although they appear similar to Americans, their cultural and religious traditions are outside the mainstream American culture. This pilot study and health needs assessment examines the women's healthcare perceptions of 14 EEOCIW and identifies similarities and differences with 25 U.S. born Orthodox Christian women (USOCW). Between September and November 2020, interviews were conducted with Orthodox Christian immigrant women from Eastern Europe and Orthodox Christian women born in the U.S. Questions covered the perceptions of women's healthcare, factors influencing women's healthcare, contraception, and trust. Madeline Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality was used to analyze the similarities and differences between the groups of women. The project provides insights into the commonalities and differences between the groups from a religious Orthodox perspective and immigration experience. Qualitative content analysis was the primary analytic strategy. Ten themes emerged. Findings indicate unique cultural healthcare needs. Understanding the perspectives of these women is only first step in addressing their needs. The information presented is important because it provides healthcare practitioners insights and recommendations that can improve the lives of both groups of women.

Committee: Joy Shoemaker (Advisor); Joy Shoemaker (Committee Chair); George Thomas (Committee Member); Cynthia George (Other) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; East European Studies; Health Care; Nursing; Religion; Slavic Studies; Womens Studies

Bachelor of Science, Walsh University, 2019, Honors

Diversity in culture, ethnicity, and race in the United States requires nurses individualize care while being mindful of the patient's cultural needs (Leininger & McFarland, 2006). Care must be patient specific, and this care cannot be delivered without proportionate cultural knowledge. Inspired by Madeleine Leininger, a nursing theorist who developed the Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, this project explores how culture impacts maternal infant feeding methods and decisions. In 2007, the CDC published that 59.7% African Americans, 77.7% Caucasians, and 80.6% Hispanics breastfed in the United States (Jones, Power, Queenan, & Schulkin, 2015). Research suggests there are multiple factors that contribute to feeding decisions such as employment, education, socioeconomic status, and culture. While many of these topics have been researched, culture has not been a primary focus. Past research indicates that Hispanic mothers are more likely to breastfeed because it is “ingrained in their Hispanic heritage” and that “breastfeeding is what Hispanics do” (Hohl, et al., 2016; Reeves & Woods-Giscombe, 2015). African American women, are more likely to bottle feed due to cultural/ethnic opposition which began in the slave era, when African American women were forced to breastfeed and care for their master's children (DeVane-Johnson et al., 2017). This imposed feeding role has resulted in many African Americans feeling sensitive to breastfeeding in the United States. In both cultures/ethnicities women are taught these ideas by their female family members, such as mothers and grandmothers (DeVane-Johnson et al., 2017; Hohl et al., 2016; Kaufman et al., 2010; Owens et al., 2018; Reeves & Woods-Giscombe, 2015). My thesis sought to explore how infant feeding choices and preferences are influenced by their cultural backgrounds of the minority Middle Eastern cultural groups in Northeastern Ohio. In the United States 3.7 million residents trace their roots to an Arab coun (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tracey Herstich (Advisor); Zana Zawahri (Other); Ty Hawkins (Committee Chair) Subjects: Nursing