How do you incorporate faith into your daily nursing tasks?

Nurses Spirituality

Published

The question is pretty much self-explanatory. I'm getting my BSN in a faith-based, private university with their own hospital. I've observed that there's such a huge difference between nurses who incorporate their faith into their nursing job compared to others who do not. So in what ways, do you incorporate your faith into your work?

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
DavidFR--one can pray for their patients without their consent, imo....however, one should have their consent to pray with their patients. I prayed for my patients as I walked up & down the halls, entering rooms, changing beds, whatever and however and whenever. That is something that can be done silently. I have prayed with patients--when they've asked, or in the case of newborn/ill infants, as I cared for them.

Any nurse who prayed for me would be acting against my wishes and I would find it extremely offensive and most unwelcome. If a patient has said they are happy for you to pray for them that's great. Otherwise it's a no no IMHO.

Would you be happy for a devil worshipper to perform some ritual on your behalf without your consent? A pagan nurse to make some gesture on your behalf? A Rastafarian nurse to smoke a joint for you in the hope you'll be released from Babylon? A communist nurse to get the comrades to sing a verse of the Internationale on your behalf? Your beliefs aren't necessarily your patients' beliefs and that's what should be respected. Even if they never have any knowledge of your actions it's at best patronising and at worst being done for yourself rather than for your patient. Pray for people who want your prayers. The "I can pray for them, it'll do them good even if they don't realise it" stance is a patronising stone that doesn't fly.

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
I've seen a whole lot of posts saying that the OP "didn't mean this" or "didn't mean that." Quite frankly, none of us have the information needed to say what the OP did or did not mean.

Since the OP has not been back to clarify, it's really impossible to know what in the heck s(he) meant by the "huge difference" statement she made. Seems like a rather hit and run type post to me, but maybe she just has a lot of homework or is going through finals, and thought she would give us a lot of time to debate her vague statement; maybe she's sitting back enjoying the controversy, maybe she was deliberately inflammatory, who knows.

Was thinking the same thing myself. I even looked back to see if this was a new person but the OP's join date was "years" ago.

whoa.

time out.

this is getting out of hand.

let's take a moment first.

i posted this last night and from what i've read....geez. yes, i should have elaborated. what i meant was:

i noticed some nurses incorporate their faith by praying with their patients together. for example, when one patient was admitted into our unit, one cna took time out to offer a prayer with the patient and her husband. as i observed, that really meant a lot to the patient.

while i've noticed (for example) this one nurse, who do not pray with her patients, was viewed as rough and uncaring by her patients.

so i thought that perhaps it is because that cna incorporates her faith into her work.

it is this sentence that makes some defensive. it is easy to read it as "if you don't have faith you suck and couldn't possibly be as good of a nurse as someone with faith".

i should have elaborated further. i apologize if people read too much into it and got carried away with your assumptions.

the only offensive thing in this thread, to me, is how freaking touchy people become over wording. the op's question wasn't a speech that was pored over by speechwriters for hours; it seems to be an honest inquiry by someone looking for advice, not a cyber-beating over semantics.

people need to seriously lighten up. :twocents:

exactly. thank you for saying that out loud. it was not my intention to take this into that sort of direction.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

DavidFR--you are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
DavidFR--one can pray for their patients without their consent, imo....however, one should have their consent to pray with their patients. I prayed for my patients as I walked up & down the halls, entering rooms, changing beds, whatever and however and whenever. That is something that can be done silently. I have prayed with patients--when they've asked, or in the case of newborn/ill infants, as I cared for them.

See, I feel it is presumptuous of you to think you would need to pray for me as a patient. Even if you did it on the sly, it seems wrong to me, You have your God, I have mine. Let the patient's minister/faith leader take care of the patients spiritual needs. It gives the appearance of your having an unequal balance of power and doing something contrary to the patient's wishes because it fulfills your needs.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

OCNRN63--And,you are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine.

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
DavidFR--you are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine.

Agreed on that, but that doesn't in any way address the points I raised in answer to your post.

Specializes in ICU/CCU, PICU.

I often pray for God to use me for His work, to let me be His hands and feet. I work within an ICU so times can be kinda stressful (from both sick patients or from the nurse stuff we have to put up with). But it's my faith knowing that God is always with me and will never give me more than what I can handle that keeps me going. I try to be humble about what I do because it's not about me. I'll read scripture at work for strength. One thing that I need to work on is participating with my patients and their faith. I've been asked only once to pray with them. Most of the time, I just put a call out to the Chaplin so my role as the nurse doesn't get confused or boundaries crossed. I wish my nursing practice could be more of a ministry than work.

Any nurse who prayed for me would be acting against my wishes and I would find it extremely offensive and most unwelcome. If a patient has said they are happy for you to pray for them that's great. Otherwise it's a no no IMHO.

Would you be happy for a devil worshipper to perform some ritual on your behalf without your consent? A pagan nurse to make some gesture on your behalf? A Rastafarian nurse to smoke a joint for you in the hope you'll be released from Babylon? A communist nurse to get the comrades to sing a verse of the Internationale on your behalf? Your beliefs aren't necessarily your patients' beliefs and that's what should be respected. Even if they never have any knowledge of your actions it's at best patronising and at worst being done for yourself rather than for your patient. Pray for people who want your prayers. The "I can pray for them, it'll do them good even if they don't realise it" stance is a patronising stone that doesn't fly.

Well your response may be exactly the reason for her question. Having faith you have to be cognizant of the patients perspective. I am a beliver and I also might pray for a person without their knowing it but I would never pray with them unless they requested it. So, to continue my theoretical view (it is mines :D) I think she is wondering how do people handle incorporating their spiritual beliefs into the job. I am sure that is a question that could be asked in any field.

As another poster said, "if you have spiritual practices how do you incorporate them into your work". I guess if that is not a question you want to answer, you don't have to.

Any nurse who prayed for me would be acting against my wishes and I would find it extremely offensive and most unwelcome. If a patient has said they are happy for you to pray for them that's great. Otherwise it's a no no IMHO.

Would you be happy for a devil worshipper to perform some ritual on your behalf without your consent? A pagan nurse to make some gesture on your behalf? A Rastafarian nurse to smoke a joint for you in the hope you'll be released from Babylon? A communist nurse to get the comrades to sing a verse of the Internationale on your behalf? Your beliefs aren't necessarily your patients' beliefs and that's what should be respected. Even if they never have any knowledge of your actions it's at best patronising and at worst being done for yourself rather than for your patient. Pray for people who want your prayers. The "I can pray for them, it'll do them good even if they don't realise it" stance is a patronising stone that doesn't fly.

I wouldn't be happy, but I wouldn't be angry. If I didn't know about it then there's no way for me to have any sort of reaction to it... you can pray for your patients without anybody else on earth knowing about it. If I did know about it, I would appreciate the fact that my nurse was thinking of me, and then I would pray for them.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

DavidFR--sure--if those you mentioned want to do "their thing" over me, they can go ahead. I know Whom I believe and am persuaded that He is able to keep me from anything that anyone throws at me. And, how do you know that when I prayed for my patients it was for me & not them? Sorry you feel that praying for someone is patronising....I don't approach it that way at all.

whoa.

time out.

this is getting out of hand.

let's take a moment first.

i posted this last night and from what i've read....geez. yes, i should have elaborated. what i meant was:

i noticed some nurses incorporate their faith by praying with their patients together. for example, when one patient was admitted into our unit, one cna took time out to offer a prayer with the patient and her husband. as i observed, that really meant a lot to the patient.

while i've noticed (for example) this one nurse, who do not pray with her patients, was viewed as rough and uncaring by her patients.

so i thought that perhaps it is because that cna incorporates her faith into her work.

it is this sentence that makes some defensive. it is easy to read it as "if you don't have faith you suck and couldn't possibly be as good of a nurse as someone with faith".

i should have elaborated further. i apologize if people read too much into it and got carried away with your assumptions.

the only offensive thing in this thread, to me, is how freaking touchy people become over wording. the op's question wasn't a speech that was pored over by speechwriters for hours; it seems to be an honest inquiry by someone looking for advice, not a cyber-beating over semantics.

people need to seriously lighten up. :twocents:

exactly. thank you for saying that out loud. it was not my intention to take this into that sort of direction.

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