Do You Have To Be Religious/Spiritual to be a good Nurse?

Nurses Spirituality

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I'm struggling with this to an extent. I go to a deeply religious school and yes, I hate it. At times I feel as though it's a major requirement to be religious in order to function as a nurse and I didn't always feel this way but this is what I keep seeing. I like myself, know what I like and dislike, what I want to do, where I'd like to go, but I'm not religious (certainly not Catholic) and the only link I have to Christianity is my liking and connection to the Bible. My "spirituality" is derived from my ability to trust myself unconditionally. But being here has made me wonder if I have to be solidly spiritual/religious in order to thrive in the world of nursing.

Also, I'm not one for groupthink and dogma and at times I feel as though many of my peers are and the professors seem to expect it. I don't kiss up to authority figures and treat everyone as a person regardless of status (all people, as far as I'm concerned, deserve respect and if I unable to provide that, I avoid them). But it drives me crazy the way they behave and they find me to be very antisocial/unsocial and distant. I'm none of these things, but just feel as though I'm fully capable of thinking, feeling, and acting on my own and for myself. Yes, I ask for help when I need it and I am friendly, but I don't feel as though I have to put my desires on the back burner if I don't have to.

I'm struggling guys and really just feeling uncomfortable with all the feedback I keep getting. I'm about to be in the real world and I want to make sure that IT is not like my college experience.

I have a simple rule: I do not discuss politics or religion in the workplace. I think that to do so leads to confusion and destruction :)

I am a person of faith, but my religion is very outside the mainstream and would be misunderstood by the majority of people, so I don't talk about it in the workplace. I've met many atheists who are dear and kind people and quite a number of Christians or other religious people who were, frankly, douches.

When I worked in hospice, we were taught that spirituality was "a search for meaning". I like that definition way better than any religious doctrine.

-girlpolice

I'm struggling with this to an extent. I go to a deeply religious school and yes, I hate it. At times I feel as though it's a major requirement to be religious in order to function as a nurse and I didn't always feel this way but this is what I keep seeing. I like myself, know what I like and dislike, what I want to do, where I'd like to go, but I'm not religious (certainly not Catholic) and the only link I have to Christianity is my liking and connection to the Bible. My "spirituality" is derived from my ability to trust myself unconditionally. But being here has made me wonder if I have to be solidly spiritual/religious in order to thrive in the world of nursing.

Also, I'm not one for groupthink and dogma and at times I feel as though many of my peers are and the professors seem to expect it. I don't kiss up to authority figures and treat everyone as a person regardless of status (all people, as far as I'm concerned, deserve respect and if I unable to provide that, I avoid them). But it drives me crazy the way they behave and they find me to be very antisocial/unsocial and distant. I'm none of these things, but just feel as though I'm fully capable of thinking, feeling, and acting on my own and for myself. Yes, I ask for help when I need it and I am friendly, but I don't feel as though I have to put my desires on the back burner if I don't have to.

I'm struggling guys and really just feeling uncomfortable with all the feedback I keep getting. I'm about to be in the real world and I want to make sure that IT is not like my college experience.

As with the others, NO you don't. I've been Wiccan for the 30yrs I've been a nurse and it hasn't hurt my nursing, ever. Actually, it's helped and in a big way. Change schools, programs or just hang in and know to be yourself and not someone else's version.

Absolutely NOT! In my experience, those with strict religious beliefs care about one thing.....values based on a book about fantasy/male domination. That does not equate to patient advocacy, in any way.

I am a Christian and I served in Christian outreach for 10 years before deciding to go back to school and study nursing. The only fast Bach program in my area was at a Baptist university that required religion or Bible courses as a pre-req. I decided to stick with the ADN program partly because I did not want to have to deal with Baptist indoctrination (been there, done that, and left it a long time ago).

That said, nursing school is a juggling act no matter where you go to school. My spiritual beliefs have set me apart from a lot of my class mates. I am friendly with most of them, but we are not close. That is OK. I am there to get an education, and to become a nurse.

You will survive this and become a great nurse. It is important to know yourself and what you believe. But like the poster who is an atheist said the care you give is about your patient, not about you, so it is important to learn how to speak therapeutically without offering your own religious views and opinions.

I'm struggling with this to an extent. I go to a deeply religious school and yes, I hate it. At times I feel as though it's a major requirement to be religious to put my desires on the back burner if I don't have to.

You do not need to be religious nor spiritual to be a nurse but you must understand and respect your patient's right to be.

It sounds as if you need to transfer out of a nursing school that is religion based/sponsered and find a secular school to go to.

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Hopefully your faith will inform and enrich your nursing practice.

Nurses do not proselytize.

Most employers will fire you if they believe you are engaged in that type of religious activity.

Dying atheists have a right to die without God.

Dying Buddhists don't need to hear about Jesus from their nurse.

Dying Muslims may want you to read their Quran to them.

etc, etc, etc

Well, if this hasn't already been addressed by others, what does "certainly not Catholic" mean?!
It wasn't meant to offend. Just sharing what I know to be true of myself.
being spiritual and being religious are different. To answer your question, you do not have to be religious, but you will not be effective as a nurse if you do not respect the spiritual side of others. Can you change schools so you can concentrate on nursing, not religion?

I only have one semester left so to change schools would mean they'd want me to go back to their Patho/Pharm and redo stuff. At this point, I'm looking forward and trying to ensure I make more knowledgeable, evidenced-based decisions.

Specializes in PCU/Telemetry.

You don't need to be religious to be a great nurse, not at all! I grew up in a very religious family but I have left that behind since going to nursing school. I have dealt w/ lots of life & death issues as a nurse & not being religious hasn't hindered me a bit. I always support my patients in their own spiritual/religious beliefs as long as it is helping them, & I do not feel like my own beliefs (or perhaps lack of beliefs) has ever hindered me from providing the best possible care. Groupthink isn't good for nurses b/c we need to think critically & independently. Believe me, you will be questioning orders all the time. As you stated, everyone deserves respect but this does not meaning kissing a$$ unnecessarily. Just be kind & appropriate to everyone, doctors, patients, families, etc, & you will do just fine!

Specializes in PCU/Telemetry.

I agree that if you are an atheist/agnostic it is probably best to be somewhat ambiguous about your beliefs w/ your coworkers & patients alike. That is what I do & it has always worked out very well for me. And although I do inpatient telemetry, I have taken care of quite a few hospice/palliative care patients & they are actually my favorite patients. My own lack of religion has NEVER been an issue; I have always bonded very well w/ these patients even though I usually don't share their religious beliefs.

Being sensitive to the spiritual needs of the patient...yes required.

Having a spiritual or religious faith yourself...no, not required.

This!!

I don't think so, but of course you have to learn to respect the spiritual beliefs of other people around you; particularly by the patients you handle! Being a good nurse is not equal to being spiritual!

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