Since becoming a member of this site I have learned a lot from all of you nurses and for that I just want to say "thanks". The former "Irishpooh". Changed my user name to honor my terrier-mix Scruffy who passed away at 14 from CA.

[earle58]

Originally Posted by scruffydog

Since becoming a member of this site I have learned a lot from all of you nurses and for that I just want to say "thanks". The former "Irishpooh". Changed my user name to honor my terrier-mix Scruffy who passed away at 14 from CA.

aw, dang scruffy.
i'm so sorry to hear this.
having sev'l animals myself, i deeply sympathize and am sorry about your loss.
wishing you much peace and healing.

leslie

[dhyser96]

My VNA has both HH and hospice. I have very strong Christian beliefs and I do love to share them. That being said, I know that working with my hospice team would severely stress me out and I know that I would probably cross the professional line with my personal belief. So I stick with my HH (whick I LOVE) unless I am on-call and need to do a pronouncement. God bless all you dedicated hospice nurses!

[Sabby_NC]

Originally Posted by elkpark

As healthcare professionals, we are there to support their beliefs and defense mechanisms, not to proselytize.

If someone asks you to pray with them, etc., that is up to the individual nurse whether s/he feels comfortable with that. However, it is never appropriate to push our individual beliefs on our clients. Please keep any "good news" to yourself at work.

I agree with your concise words of wisdom

[marachne]

Just joined this forum and am overwhelmed with all the wonderful threads to read (instead of working on my dissertation, sigh).

The suggestions that have been have all been spot on, and I just want to add something for folks to think about: I know that a lot of hospice nurses have strong spiritual senses and beliefs and I think that's a good thing, however, as several people have pointed out, not everyone is Christian, and not only that, some people are made very uncomfortable by overt Christianity (I personally am a Jew and a pagan so I'm talking from a very personal as well as professional place here). One of the things I sometimes have a problem with is seeing nurses wearing big crosses. I know that everyone has a right to present themselves however, but to me, when you're already going into a potentially emotionally loaded situation, that as part of the initial presentation/impression is not necessarily the most sensitive and inclusive approach.

I also want to make a comment about chaplains. I just finished a palliative care fellowship that included myself, a psychology fellow, two MD fellows, a SW fellow and two chaplain fellows. Hearing about their training as chaplains made me even more impressed with this group of professionals. They are trained to attend so carefully to both the layers of meanings in what others say and their own responses/ reactions/behavior. I think I'm pretty good at active, empathetic listening and having appropriate things to say in many situations, but no where the depth that they do. I would not hesitate to have them talk to any of my patients, no matter what their spirituality or religiosity.

[GardenerGirl]

The scripture that Irishpooh quoted was for ME, not evidence of me looking for scriptures to quote to the patients. If you read the scripture she quoted, it would clearly not be something I would be quoting to patients. Some people see a certain word and suddenly a response is triggered within them, and they cease to be reasonable or even logical.

I know this is a very sensitive subject, but I feel that by asking this question on such a forum as this was the SAFE way to get a bevy of answers and some insight into the situation. I respect your expertise and wisdom, and know I can learn a lot from my associations here on the forum.

Some of you are clearly disturbed and even alarmed by my question. You suspect I'm going into Hospice to "recruit souls." No. Such simplistic thinking and this air of judgementalism is offensive to me, and frankly, I hope you are not my nurse when it comes my time to go.

Being politically correct is more important to some of you than being there for the patient! What a shame.

My question should have remained a private one, but since I trusted the people of this forum to weigh-in, I will try to learn from the advice you have offered me. But please, don't judge my motives, or presume to know my intentions. You are not qualified to do so.

Thank you for any encouraging and helpful posts, and for welcoming me to the world of Hospice Nursing. I don't take my position lightly, hence I ask questions. If you attack people who have the courage to ask questions, what kind of people will you have left? Think about it.

[GardenerGirl]

...And you are quoting the Dalai Lama? Am I missing something here? "Stay away from our hospice patients." Are you for real? Practice what you preach.

[Stanley-RN2B]

Originally Posted by GardenerGirl

Some of you are clearly disturbed and even alarmed by my question. You suspect I'm going into Hospice to "recruit souls." No. Such simplistic thinking and this air of judgementalism is offensive to me, and frankly, I hope you are not my nurse when it comes my time to go.

Being politically correct is more important to some of you than being there for the patient! What a shame.

It's not being politically correct. It's being sensitive of the patients needs. No one suspects you of anything. Religion is just a charged topic. Which is why it doesn't belong in nursing... ever.

[earle58]

Originally Posted by GardenerGirl

If they are afraid of dying and you know you have good news for them, just how much can you say?

Cheri

Originally Posted by GardenerGirl

I only asked how much could be said if a patient was terrified of dying. I don't think anyone addressed that part of the senerio. The scripture that "Irishpooh" quoted was right on the money. Thank you for taking the time to look it up and for including it in this thread. That was what I was hoping for; sound advice.

Cheri

first, you come and ask about sharing your "good news" with a terrified, dying patient:

then, you state that only irishpooh addressed your question.
that was certainly not the case...at all.
it's as if you only responded to scripture and no one/nothing else.

Originally Posted by GardenerGirl

If you attack people who have the courage to ask questions, what kind of people will you have left? Think about it.[/size]

yep, some of us will get our radar up if we feel you only hear what you want to hear.
and especially, if that involves jeopardizing the well being of our pts, darned right i'll get in fighting mode.
even after rereading your posts, i'm still not understanding what you were looking for, since you did not seem satisfied with the feedback/input you had gotten.

have you considered parish nursing?

leslie

[elkpark]

Originally Posted by GardenerGirl

The scripture that Irishpooh quoted was for ME, not evidence of me looking for scriptures to quote to the patients. If you read the scripture she quoted, it would clearly not be something I would be quoting to patients. Some people see a certain word and suddenly a response is triggered within them, and they cease to be reasonable or even logical.

I know this is a very sensitive subject, but I feel that by asking this question on such a forum as this was the SAFE way to get a bevy of answers and some insight into the situation. I respect your expertise and wisdom, and know I can learn a lot from my associations here on the forum.

Some of you are clearly disturbed and even alarmed by my question. You suspect I'm going into Hospice to "recruit souls." No. Such simplistic thinking and this air of judgementalism is offensive to me, and frankly, I hope you are not my nurse when it comes my time to go.

Being politically correct is more important to some of you than being there for the patient! What a shame.

My question should have remained a private one, but since I trusted the people of this forum to weigh-in, I will try to learn from the advice you have offered me. But please, don't judge my motives, or presume to know my intentions. You are not qualified to do so.

Thank you for any encouraging and helpful posts, and for welcoming me to the world of Hospice Nursing. I don't take my position lightly, hence I ask questions. If you attack people who have the courage to ask questions, what kind of people will you have left? Think about it.

I have just reread the entire thread, after reading your comment above, and I don't see where anyone has been, IMO, judgmental or simplistic in responding to you, or that anyone has "attacked" you. It seems to me that posters on the thread have been sensitive to how important a part of individuals' lives our personal religious beliefs are, and only suggested that if it's going to be a big conflict or stressor for you to not share your personal views with your clients, hospice may not be the best clinical setting for you. You initiated the thread by asking about sharing your "good news" with clients. I'm sure I'm not the only person here who has seen nurses attempt to force their religious beliefs on others, at various times over the years -- it does happen, and I think there's widespread concensus within the nursing community that that's highly unprofessional and inappropriate behavior. It's not about being "politically correct," it's about respecting the client's autonomy and her/his right to her/his own beliefs/views.

Again, I encourage you to discuss your question with your supervisors and be sure you're very clear on what the agency's guidelines and expectations are in this area; and I wish you well for your new career direction.