Prayer @ staff meeting

Nurses General Nursing

Published

At a recent "mandatory" staff meeting the ADON requested one of the nurses to open our meeting with a prayer. We work in a state correctional facility. No one seemed offended, I just thought it was inappropriate. In discussing it with other staff that was present, they are thinking of notifying Human resources about it. Any thoughts?

Specializes in ER.
So then you won't be offended when we sacrifice a goat at your next staff meeting...

So long as I don't have to clean up that mess. Nurses have to do EVERYTHING around here.:angryfire

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
i choose to work at a catholic ltc and didn't find prayer at openings of mandatory meetings offenseive.

i also agree that i would discuss it with the person who started the prayer rather than go to hr.

to work at a religious ltc was your decision and you knew prayer would be part of the package. but suppose the job were at a druid or buddhist or wiccan facility and they opened every meeting with a prayer germaine to their religion, how would that make you feel? just slightly uncomfortable? also, as i wrote in a prior post, religion of any denomination as absolutely no place in an employees work day in any public facility.

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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I have had an administrator pray, talk to Jesus, talk in tongues, hear the voice of God and cast out Satan at staff meetings after going into a trance, singing hymns and religioius songs she made up. Bear in mind that this individual was manic and in need of psychiatric treatment. In fact, this person screamed and yelled and cast Satan out of me individually when I did not follow through with an inappropriate order to actually violate the law. Unfortunately, she could not cast out her own demons.

Nothing fazes me these days.

However, you can not be discriminated against because of your religion. This can be reported to the E.E.O.C. and they will investigate this as a violation of your civil rights.

In the above mentioned situation, it would have been appropriate to report this individual to the state licensing board as possibly impaired. I didn't do that, but I should have.

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I think ANY religion should be a private matter and not imposed on a mandatory staff meeting (silent prayers to your own faith being an exception IMO). Also, in a perfect world.. discussing it with the ADON first would be very nice.. however I am having a HARD time believing an ADON wouldn't know this was not appropriate. *shrugs*

Therefore, I would also go to HR.

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
I cant believe that anyone would get offended at praying. IF YOU DONT WANT TO THEN JUST DONT DO IT

If you were amongst a group of Muslim nurses at a mandatory meeting and they said "OK we're going to pray now" and proceeded to pray the way some muslims do, on the floor with the bowing down and so forth, Would you still feel the same way? Or is it just that it doesn't bother you so you can't imagine why it would bother anybody?

Believe it or not, there are people in this world, myself included, who think that organized religion is the bane of our existence and would prefer to have nothing to do with it.

This situation would annoy me and make me think the DON was an ass, but I probably would just tolerate it forget about it. If it continued, I might have to speak up, anonymously to HR. I would never want to incur the wrath of a bunch of Christians.

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
I have had an administrator pray, talk to Jesus, talk in tongues, hear the voice of God and cast out Satan at staff meetings after going into a trance, singing hymns and religioius songs she made up. Bear in mind that this individual was manic and in need of psychiatric treatment. In fact, this person screamed and yelled and cast Satan out of me individually when I did not follow through with an inappropriate order to actually violate the law. Unfortunately, she could not cast out her own demons.

I don't think I could tolerate these conditions. Do you work in the bible belt? What was the inappropriate order? Just wondering.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.
If you were amongst a group of Muslim nurses at a mandatory meeting and they said "OK we're going to pray now" and proceeded to pray the way some muslims do, on the floor with the bowing down and so forth, Would you still feel the same way?

Personally, I would be totally stoked, but I'm a Muslim. As regards the original situation, if the ADON leading the meeting didn't understand that prayer was inappropriate at that time and place, odds are you're better off going over her head to HR about it.

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Specializes in anesthesia, nursing labor research, philosophy.
it bothers you to the point that you want it to stop why not just bring it up to the person who requested it be done first?! I'd go that route before HR.

I would definitely not bring it up to the ADON. I think the idea to bring it up, hopefully anonymously, to HR is a much better plan.

I agree. THe professional thing to do is to notify HR anonymously through the established complain channel. I'm sure that the state has such a route for expressing your concerns. An HR hotline perhaps. I also agree that the prayer is inappropriate, and I pray every night before bed (almost every night...). This is not a religious issues, it's a clear lack of professionalism.

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I am in a position of Leadership in my hospital. We have on occasion large like 700-900 person meetings outside the facility. Each time they open it with a prayer. I am an atheist and after I found out they did this, I just excuse myself out of the room until the prayer is over. I was questioned by the CEO and my manager as to why I did this and basically told them that Im here to obtain work related information not faith related information and that while I respect their right to participate in their faith, I choose not to and will continue to wait outside the room until they are completed. They understood and I have never had any further issues with it. So basically what Im saying is talk with the powers that be and leave the room if you find it offensive or inappropriate.

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I do not work in the bible belt.

Against the law: admitting patients not qualified for services and/or refusing care to obtain their insurance money for one, not providing ordered services to patients, violating patient rights, etc. ....the list is endless, twisted and complex.

No, I don't work there now. Too many trances, tongues and fraudulent activities for me.

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Specializes in amb.care,mental health,geriatrics.

At my workplace, several employees requested an opportunity to pray together at the start of the day. What we did was meet in an out-of-the-way spot (the kitchen, empty at 8am) and pray privately. We didn't advertise, or put out an e-mail about it, or anything. Those who originally expressed the wish just met quietly just before clocking in, (took less than 2 or 3 minutes) and got to work. Some people noticed and expressed curiosity and decided to join us, others just went about their work. It was never bandied about, none of us ever tried to get anyone to come who didn't show up completely on their own.

I'm a Christian, and to me, we should be able to pray with others at work if we want, but not in a way that makes anyone feel coerced or judged for not doing it. Our job is to spread love, not cause division and hard feelings.

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Whether you choose to go directly to the person or report her I think you should suggest the prayer be replaced by a silent reflection. That way those who want to can pray those that don't can just reflect. All nurses need a quiet moment during the day! I feel it is more professional instead of just complaining about a problem to also propose a solution.

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