Prevalence of Christians in the field of nursing

Nurses Spirituality

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I will be making a career change, from the banking industry to nursing. Thought about it over the past year. In my industry, Christians are far and few between. I suppose much of this has to do with the main focus being, money.

Wondering about the prevalence of Christians in the nursing field? I know much of this has to do with what area of the country one works. Also, non-Chrisitans may not be looking out for Christians in the workforce. I know in my industry, I feel alone, to say the least.

Specializes in Peds, developmental disability.

Pets to People,

I think the poster may be thinking just in terms of Western civilization. We have Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan. There were monks that ran hostels in Europe during the middle ages. Think of the Saint Bernard rescue dogs. :-) Missionaries over the years have made it their business to give medical aid, open hospitals etc. Then there is the Red "Cross".

Obviously these things have gone on all over the world, forever. And I thank God! The human spirit is amazing...but I hope you and others won't be offended by people who think in these terms. I personally am not exclusive...but history does inspire me!

Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Why do Christians always think everything started with them? The arrogance and/or ignorance is astounding. "The nursing profession" does not have its roots in Judaeo-Christian traditions butterfly, "nursing" or people who have acted as "nurses" has been around in every culture, every tribe and every corner of the globe since the beginning of time. Believe it or not, life did go on before the time of Christian religion.

I totally agree. Read up on our old friend Florence Nightingale. She ARDENTLY rejected the church, and marriage, and studied Buddhism.

OP, be aware of being that cliche around here.....the typical "I post something, the responses were not what I wanted to hear, so I get defensive." I see no evidence that you actually read, thought about and reflected upon what the responses might mean. It's much more Christian to create reflective dialogue, accept and consider all points of view, isn't it?

Specializes in Peds, developmental disability.

I too made a career change, back into nursing, not long ago. And yes, I do meet lots of Christians. I like the ones who are compelled to be honest, who do their best every day, who encourage me when I am grieved or overwhelmed, and who pray for me as I do this tough job. They are not all that supportive, that genuine. And non believers have been some of my best coworkers.

But yes, there are Christians in nursing. Welcome aboard.

Specializes in Most areas of adult hospital care.

FSUNS2b,

TNbutterfly was right on in her posts. I concur 100%.

It would be interesting to do a study (if not already done) on the prevalence of Christians in nursing as compared to the general population. However, are we talking about those who consider themselves part of the Christian "tradition" or the evangelical Christians? We would also probably want to know to what degree the nurses faith guides/inspires his or her practice. The JCN or another may have already published something on this. But, I am interested in teaming with someone to research it, if not.

I also believe it would be interesting to study the percentages of Christian missions (hospitals, rehabs, food banks, etc.) nationally and internationally as compared non-christian.

These are just my thoughts.

I believe you are wise (and brave!) for taking part in these discussions and asking tough questions before you even begin. It seems to me that you have the makings of a great nurse. But, expect folks to get their feathers ruffled when you start talking about faith-Christianity in particular.

Best wishes,

Suzie

Specializes in Hospice.

Dear OP,

As you can see, many buttons are being pushed in this discussion ... there's no one right answer, really, to what I think you were asking.

As I understand your post, your question is about finding a Christian community at your workplace.

Yet, there are a whole lot of NotChristians around and we sometimes get the hair on the backs of our necks standing up when questions about religion in the workplace come up.

I think one thing to remember is that a nursing workplace is a worklplace ... we mostly have little choice about where and under what conditions we are working. We are all under an obligation to show up for work if we want to pay our bills this week. This makes us a fairly captive audience and having one's buttons pushed unnecessarily is a waste of time and energy that few of us can afford.

So ... my recommendation is to keep overtly religious conversations in the breakroom, the cafeteria, the parking lot or the chapel. That way, those of us who don't want to hear it have the option of either listening with respect or leaving the area.

Places to avoid such conversation would be the nurses' station, the med room ... any space that has anything to do with patient care.

As a born-baptised-confirmed Christian-turned-something-else, I have a few ideas for you to consider.

One thing that occurs to me is starting your search in church rather than on the job ... that part comes later. There's usually some social stuff going on you could check out ... you might even meet someone from your own unit/facility/school. Announce in the church newletter that you're starting a study/support group for nurses in the congregation and see who turns up.

You need to consider whether your religious practice colors your perceptions of your NotChristian co-workers, especially atheists, Jews, Muslims and Pagans. We need to have each others' backs and not be constantly looking at our own for the knife.

If witnessing is important to you, then my challenge to you is to witness by the way you treat your co-workers and patients. Let your values show in how you deal with the challenges of your job. I think the key concept is that "Those that can, do. Those that can't, talk about it". Maybe the best way to attract other Christians is to be a Christian.

I hope this helps.

SuzieF,

Thank you very much! Very good points. I appreciate your encouragement! It seems that reading through all the thicket of these comments, that Christians are prevalent within the nursing workforce. But I'm sure a more detailed professional study may bring more accurate results....lol.

Thanks again!!!

I think you will find a lot of Christians in nursing. As other have mentioned Nursing and many hospitals in this country have roots in faith, Adventist Hospitals, Catholic Hospitals, ect. So you won't have a problem finding Christians. I do wonder if the percentage of Christian nurses is higher than the general population or other jobs such as banking. That would be a interesting survey to do.

I totally agree. Read up on our old friend Florence Nightingale. She ARDENTLY rejected the church, and marriage, and studied Buddhism.

Off topic, but I think Florence Nightingale believed she was called by God to help others. Then she got her training at a religious school. So she was inspired by faith, at least in her young adult years. I had never read that she turned Buddhist.

Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.

"Also, non-Chrisitans may not be looking out for Christians in the workforce."

Where I work, nurses (and indeed all staff) look out for their patients, and each other, without regard to whether they are Christian or not.

My last shift, I worked with an Indian MD (dots, not feathers), a Muslim MD student, a Jewish MD, an Asian MD, a West African RN, and a few scattered American mongrel caregivers of various other descents.

None of us tried to preferentially look out for Christians or anyone else.

i think i would understand op's concerns more, if he sought camaraderie based on another's qualities and not religious affiliation.

there are so many loving and compassionate people, both Christian and non-Christian alike, that religion has absolutely nothing to do with one's behaviors and actions.

similarly i have met more than my fair share of Christians that'd make Jesus wince.

all that said, doesn't it make more sense to reach out to those who share compatible ideals and goals?

to me, that is what defines a nurse...and certainly not his/her religion.

i'm sorry, i'm just not understanding why Christians, time after time, seek their own.

it appears so exclusive but also seems to overlook the qualities that truly count and define one's character.

i do hope you find what you're looking for, for your own peace of mind.

leslie

NJ2008,

In her journal, Florence recorded these thoughts: "Personal union with Jesus Christ; without this we are nothing. Father, give me this personal union. Come in, Lord Jesus, come into my heart now. There is no room. Each day more and more of this new year, 1895, and may it be a better and a happier year than any before. So help me/us God!"

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~cwfn/publications/index.html

leslie,

I do hope I find what I'm looking for! Thank you for your comments:yes:.

BTW, I work with many non-Christians currently and I get along with them wonderfully. Not a problem! Like I said, I am very quiet about my Chrisitan faith, so do not bring it into the workplace, of course unless asked. I think many Christians seek out other Christians simply because they have much in common, that's all.

I did a poll at the rehab I work at:

1 Buddhist

2 Muslims

1 Jehovah's Witness

2 no preference

1 Atheist

1 Latter Day Saint (Christian)

These are just the nurses.

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