Praying in the work place

Nurses Spirituality

Published

Hi everybody,

I'm three months into my new job as a hospice RNCM and have been learning a lot. I generally love, love, love my job.

My question today is about praying in the workplace. I know that Medicare requires a spiritual counselor on staff, but I also know that patients can refuse that service.

At my work place, meetings have recently started to begin with prayer lead by the SC. This seems a bit odd to me, coming from years of experience in the work world where things like prayer before meetings did not happen.

Also, I hear a lot of statements from fellow workers that I find offensive regarding patients having a hard time with EOL because they "don't have a belief system." They have a belief system, it just may not be the same as other people. From my limited experience, it seems people die differently, not relatable solely to their belief system. Some with strong beliefs have a hard time, others who don't believe find peace at the end.

I will pray with my patients all they want if that brings them peace and comfort, but prayer in the work place feels like a violation.

Thoughts?

i'm wondering if you recognize how passive-aggressive your post sounds.

first you denounce religion, then you "just believe with my heart what Christ did for me".

is not Christ a derivative of Christian teachings, making it solely religious?

then you emphatically add scripture from Timothy, to ensure your (religious) .02 is heard.

and "Just as eternal life is not for everyone".

really? did you just ever-so-glibly say that?

the least you (or anyone) can do is if you believe in a truth, staunchly stand behind it.

otherwise, indirect jabs are disingenuous and derisive.

thanks.

leslie

I'm sorry that my post offended you. I'll admit, I did disclose my "belief", but it was in tandem with the subject of another post. I was simply replying to that post.

Since every word in the Bible is that of the Holy Spirit, It is all God-breathed. Yes, men certainly wrote the books within the Bible, but only as moved by the Holy Ghost:

2 Peter 1:21

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God[a] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

So yes, "religion" I denounce, but the Word of God, I do not. When I say "religion", I'm only referring to what man tells us we "have" to do, in order to be right in the eyes of God. The ONLY thing anyone has to do "today” is simply believe that Christ was the son of God, was crucified, buried, resurrected from the dead and currently at the right hand of God, in heavenly places:

Ephesians 1:18-23

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

By writing this, I simply am standing by the Truth. I’m not at all taking indirect jabs at anyone. Not my intention. Through the course of replying to another post, I did peacefully state my belief. If you want to tell me you believe in eternal life, that’s fine. But on “what” basis? I stand by the Word of God:

John 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 17:17

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth

Romans 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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The ONLY thing anyone has to do "today” is simply believe that Christ was the son of God, was crucified, buried, resurrected from the dead and currently at the right hand of God, in heavenly places:

i am sitting here with a half-smile, somewhat incredulous that you perceive the above criteria as seemingly peripheral.

this is a major consideration as to why many don't embrace Christianity...

because it is just so inconceivable and contingent.

i think i've said what i needed to.

have a great day.

leslie

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Good luck to you FSUNurse2b.

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Good luck to you FSUNurse2b.

Thank you!

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i am sitting here with a half-smile, somewhat incredulous that you perceive the above criteria as seemingly peripheral.

this is a major consideration as to why many don't embrace Christianity...

because it is just so inconceivable and contingent.

i think i've said what i needed to.

have a great day.

leslie

I'll only say this:

I completely understand and agree with you that many don't embrace Christianity today because it seems inconceivable and contingent. The fault does rest upon other Christians, many of which have a tendancy to "condemn" people. But if they only took His Word to heart, when he said:

John 3:17

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

And also mix in with that, "religion", and it's a recipe doomed to fail, with all it's observances, traditions, rituals, sacrements, etc, etc. It's enough to make anyone run in the opposite direction.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians, some 30 years after Christ's ascension, wrote:

Colossians 2: 8-9; 20-23

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

20 Therefore,[e] if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Man, (with his "religion"), makes it "seemingly peripheral" to many.

Take care.

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

Perhaps you will be happiest in a faith based organization where your fierce Christian beliefs will be most supported in your professional practice.

For most of us, faith is a personal issue that is NOT expressed in our work, per se...although other believers may recognize our faith at play.

As you work with amazing people from all walks of life you will have to find a way to keep your faith in a personal place in order to enjoy the full spectrum of interaction with them. Muslims, Jews, agnostics, atheists, etc all practice within our field and are patients in our facilities/specialties. Our charge is to meet them where they are...and care for them to the best of our ability.

Faith is important to us individually. It is not so important professionally and is not a requirement to be a fabulous nurse.

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Perhaps you will be happiest in a faith based organization where your fierce Christian beliefs will be most supported in your professional practice.

For most of us, faith is a personal issue that is NOT expressed in our work, per se...although other believers may recognize our faith at play.

As you work with amazing people from all walks of life you will have to find a way to keep your faith in a personal place in order to enjoy the full spectrum of interaction with them. Muslims, Jews, agnostics, atheists, etc all practice within our field and are patients in our facilities/specialties. Our charge is to meet them where they are...and care for them to the best of our ability.

Faith is important to us individually. It is not so important professionally and is not a requirement to be a fabulous nurse.

I completely agree and I totally understand the nature of the workplace. It's just not the place to "wear" our beliefs on our sleeves, if that makes any sense. I commented on this a couple days ago:

When I become a nurse, I will be absolutely careful not to tread on ANYONE about what I believe in. If I'm asked, that's a totally different story. So, for all you nurses trying to plant seeds, to help bring people to salvation, be very careful, as you have to feed yourself and your family!

For all those passionte about their belief/faith, it's not worth losing a job over, especially with a family to support. The apostle Paul sums this up so wonderfully:

1 Timothy 5:8

8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-13

10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

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*** What kind of country is it?

It is one created by our Christian founding Fathers :)

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
It is one created by our Christian founding Fathers :)

Not necessarily. From Forbes: Was America Founded As A Christian Nation? - Forbes

The most damning evidence of a non-Christian past is a humiliating 1797 treaty with the Barbary Pirates. President Adams sought to stem unremitting Muslim raids against Mediterranean shipping and protect American sailors from African slavery. This obscure treaty submitted, “The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
It is one created by our Christian founding Fathers :)

LOL! Good one. Seriously though what kind of country is it?

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LOL! Good one. Seriously though what kind of country is it?

Simply, one in which the "tide" is ever so slowly shifting in the other direction, most likely never to return. Some may say the world is becoming a better place, but not so:

2 Timothy 3: 1-9

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Simply, one in which the "tide" is ever so slowly shifting in the other direction, most likely never to return. Some may say the world is becoming a better place, but not so:

.

*** You can count me as one who knows the world is a better place than it has ever been. Those who don't agree simply don't understand history.

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