Clinicals and religious observances?

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Hi all. Any other nursing students out there from minority religions- have you found that a religious observance is an acceptable reason to miss clinical? I just realized that I have a clinical on Rosh Hashanah and while I am not extremely religious or opposed to working on that day, I generally take it off to be with friends/family.

It would be nice to get some info on here from others who have been in this position before I go through the trouble of asking my clinical instructor and potentially putting her in an awkward position.

Thanks!

Every school is different. But missing clinical in my current program is not really done for any reason, what so every. No such thing as an excused absence. For one it results in having to write a 8-12 page (based on clinical hours) research paper. And if you miss more then two in the program, even if they are different clinicals, you are dropped from the program.

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To clarify - I'm not a very religious person, however, if I were religious (i.e., if I abided by the commandments) I would take off on Rosh Hashanah. I usually stay home and fast on Rosh Hashanah, but I wouldn't necessarily prioritize it above NS clinicals. My personal attitude contradicts Jewish law in this respect.

Thanks for that information about Christianity. I didn't realize that it was considered a violation of commandments to work on those days, just like in Judaism. It sounds like it's the same idea. :)

I think I won't ask for it off, just in case I truly need to take a different clinical day off. I figure it's not uncommon to get ill during your first semester of nursing school right? Especially if you haven't previously spent much time in a hospital..

I don't mean to be critical, but from your post it sounds like you are confusing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which is the fast day. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, not the day of atonement. I was fortunate that my university is modifying our finals schedule to avoid having exams during Rosh Hashanah. They are ending classes 2 days early to push up finals. We are on break during Yom Kippur.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
To clarify - I'm not a very religious person, however, if I were religious (i.e., if I abided by the commandments) I would take off on Rosh Hashanah. I usually stay home and fast on Rosh Hashanah, but I wouldn't necessarily prioritize it above NS clinicals. My personal attitude contradicts Jewish law in this respect.

Thanks for that information about Christianity. I didn't realize that it was considered a violation of commandments to work on those days, just like in Judaism. It sounds like it's the same idea. :)

I think I won't ask for it off, just in case I truly need to take a different clinical day off. I figure it's not uncommon to get ill during your first semester of nursing school right? Especially if you haven't previously spent much time in a hospital..

I think as nurses we make a lot of sacrifices......we work 24/7 all holidays and weekends....we miss baseball games with our kids.....and family parties/religious observations.........and we also need to be aware of other religions and be respectful of them so we may care for them to the best of our ability.

YOU are in nursing school and already planning to be ill because you "usually get ill" during school.....well depending on your school they probably will not care how sick you are or aren't and have a zero tolerance to being absent...period. You go to school ill and let them send you home. Schools are looking for those who are dedicated.....period.

Even when you become nurse.....you are not allowed to be ill. You are "allowed" 2 or sometime 3 sick "incidences" in 6 months....sometimes a year.....anything beyond that is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination.

I wish you the best.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

IMO, a valid religious observance (I say valid because some people--I'm not referring to you, OP--are quick to try to play the religion card to get out of things) is a good reason to miss one clinical.

That's not to say that it won't be without penalty: that depends on your program. You may lose points. You may have to attend a makeup session. You may find yourself unable to take another clinical day off if you/your child is sick, your car engine breaks down, whatever...because you burned your one absence on this day.

If you have a holiday that conflicts with clinical, talk to your CI, and do so sooner than later (i.e., don't wait until the day before to bring it up) so they can work with you. Is it possible for you to go to clinical on a different day that week?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

You make it sound like the holiday isn't so much important to you as what it is you usually do...get together with others. You also stated you aren't very religious...so then you don't take off for a religious holiday. It sounds like you want to do what you usually do and think using religion is a good excuse...it isn't.

I missed part of 1 clinical. I received a call that my grandfather had very unexpected emergency surgery and was now in ICU in DIC...e was going to die. This was "the" call....I didn't even know he went to the ER. I was given permission to leave clinicals to go say goodbye. I went straight to he hospital in my uniform. He was gone a few hours later.

I only left because he was going to die. That's how important clinicals are. You don't take off for a religious holiday if you aren't religious. I'm catholic....I work Easter, Good Friday, holy Saturday, Christmas and more.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Pediatrics.
When I was in school, I missed some clinicals for very good reasons (grandfather died) and some not good reasons (felt like going away for the weekend). It really depends on the school and on your instructor- Rosh Hashanah is just one day, right? Maybe there is another group that does clinical on the same floor but on a different day and you could join their group that week if they could accommodate you? I think my school would have tried to accommodate the request if they could do something like this. Or, many of our clinical instructors were actually working nurses in the hospitals we were doing clinicals in... sometimes they would offer to just have a student who missed a clinical come work with them for a shift. In psych, if we missed a clinical they asked you to go to an AA meeting. I actually found that suggestion to be quite intrusive- suppose you walk into an AA meeting to observe and then the people who are there to be anonymous become not so anonymous when you spot your Residence Hall Director or Professor. At my college, there were on campus AA meetings. But I digress.

When you are working as a nurse, I think it is highly likely that you will be able to get the high Jewish holidays off. I worked with one nurse who was Jewish and was very religious. She never worked Fridays after sundown or Saturdays at all. In exchange, she worked every Sunday to fulfill her weekend obligations. It was worth it to her and the hospital viewed it as a reasonable accommodation. If for some reason you were scheduled on a day of religious importance, unless you are working at a Jewish hospital, it's likely that the majority of your co-workers will not be Jewish and that you will find someone to switch the day with you... then you can work Christmas for them. :)

I was getting ready to post a similar response. I have a friend that works as a CNA and is Muslim. He works it out with his coworkers, if he can, to work a holiday like Christmas so he can observed his holiday. No matter if you are "religious" or not, if this a day you would like to observe, then the first step should be to talked to your CI regarding what the policy is and decide for yourself if you would you should take the day off or not.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

When I worked at a Jewish hospital this was a frequent topic of discussion. Most Jewish faith organizations - Orthodox, Conservative and Reform - usually grant some exception to Jewish laws regarding Shabbat and high holidays for people who do "divine work" like health care. Check this out:

http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/194

Check with your rabbi, even if you're not super religious, knowing that you may be granted exceptions might put your mind at ease that you won't burst into flames :)

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I know in healthcare system, the holidays that are counted are Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve and day. We rotate them. I pick up those days because I like the money. I do not think the Jewish hospital is much different.

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My coworkers have always been given the opportunity for their Jewish holidays off, provided they can find coverage if it is their regularly scheduled work day. It's been the same for Christian holidays that aren't observed by the hospital (like Easter or Good Friday). I am a very religious Christian and I prefer to be able to attend mass on Holy thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. I like to celebrate with my family and I follow the fasting prescribed for the season of Lent. That being said, I've never been able to find coverage for an Easter that I've been scheduled to work so I would attend mass around work and still be able to worship with my loved ones. It's not a Christian law to abstain from working. It's merely a preference to be able to spend that holiday celebrating Christ with my family. That makes it different from Jewish law but I think if the hospital were to just allow you to take the day off without finding coverage, it could result in issues with religious discrimination (I'm totally guessing here).

As far as clinicals, if you're wanting to celebrate with your family and friends on the holiday, I would check with the school. They may grant you the day off if you make up the day. That is what they allowed in my school for clinicals missed legitimately. The Jewish students were allowed the day off but had to attend clinical on an "off" day to make up the hours or be penalized by grade point changes. If you missed 1 clinical, you were dropped by one letter grade. If you missed two clinicals, you were dropped by 2 letter grades. If you missed 3 clinicals, you automatically failed. We had a student give birth and attend clinical two days later so she wouldn't fail because her grade was already a B due to having missed clinical to give birth. They told her she could make up the day but we were nearing the end of the semester so there really wasn't time.

Check with your program and see what their policy is regarding clinicals.

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one of my classmates was Orthodox Jewish (I'm not sure exactly what sect, however she was required to not wear pants, cover her collarbones, elbows and knees and would not show her hair once married) and she was able to switch her clinical for the holidays...

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Talk to your instructors. They may be able to switch you around for that one day since you know about it so far in advance. Ask them their policies on that. Most schools do try to accommodate religious needs within reasonable means.

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Alright. Thanks guys. Yes, according to the laws, saving lives comes WAY before observing a high holiday, but as a student I don't know if I technically fit that criteria (maybe.. but it's probably a stretch). I think I'll skip asking for it off, though.

I mean no offense to you, Jbudd, but FYI -- taking the day off for Rosh Hashanah is not the same as taking the day off for Easter. It's against Jewish law/tradition to work on certain days, Rosh Hashanah being one of them. I don't believe Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving are the same way.

PS: Your friend is an Orthodox Rabbi and a nurse? Dang, impressive. :)

Here is how the hospital is going to look at it:

They don't discriminate between religions when it comes to holidays. If they make a concession for you, they'll have to make a concession for everyone else on holidays, therefore, unless in your position you don't work a holiday (some departments are off), then as a floor nurse you are expected to be available 365 days of the year and holidays are rotated on a schedule.

Yes, they can legally do that, because they are not giving preference, therefore, it is not discrimination.

That is why I said the school may be required to let you off, but a facility is not going to be.

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