When to offer prayer.

macawake, MSN · Nov 26, 2013

I am a Catholic nurse, working in a Catholic hospital. I have generally kept my faith quiet with my patients, as we treat those of all faiths and I have no desire to offend anyone.
However, my faith is very active in the background. When someone asks me to stick a patient in the ER for an IV because they have been stuck 5 times, I silently ask for St Jude's intercession. In the middle of a cardiac arrest, I silently ask God to help us save this person, if it is His will.
The only thing I have ever done out loud is... I have asked very sick patients (or their families) if they would mind if I offered a decade of the Rosary for their intentions. I have never been turned down! I had a Jewish man say, "Maybe if we both pray, He will listen."
Is it offensive to ask?

I don't think that you should be asking patients if they want you to pray for them. You as a future? nurse are in a position of power, the patient depends on you to care for them.

What if the patient is a Buddhist or an Athesist but afraid that if they tell you that, they won't receive the same care and attention from you as if they were a fellow Catholic?

Some patients might feel extremely vulnerable and be afraid to be honest with you. Others may resent your question and report it to management as inappropriate behaviour.

I think that faith should be left out of the workplace. Let the patient bring the subject of prayer up, his or her nurse shouldn't in my opinion. If you say prayers silently to yourself however, I don't see that that is a problem as long as it doesn't affect your focus on the practical job at hand.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2013

This subject is usually very much debated.....How to drop subtle hints with my nursing students about faith. It is usually not an accepted practice as the bedside nurse. I would call pastoral care. While I have murmured prayers in my head at one time or another....it isn't appropriate to utter them out loud.

chrisrn24 · Nov 26, 2013

I think it's fine to pray for the person yourself but I don't think you should be asking patients if they would like you to pray for them.

One admission question should be about religion/spirituality and if they say it is important to them then get a pastor/priest involved.

SillyStudent, ASN, RN · Nov 26, 2013

I am not a future nurse. I just never changed my name. . I am still silly, and I will always be a student. 6 years ER/ ICU

We actually have a hospital system here that asks if we are willing to pray with the patients as an application question. Something about their mission, apparently. They are a different Catholic system.

I am not obnoxious about it, and I may never ask someone again. I have no idea why I DID ask on the occasions I have. It seemed to fly out of my mouth. This is why I sought opinions from my brilliant all nurses colleagues. :)

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Nov 26, 2013

Asking permission to invoke YOUR faith on behalf of the patient is IMO inappropriate.

After all, we don't need their permission to pray. They don't need to know we are doing it.

Prayer is like an aspirin.. it gets to the right place without you telling it where to go.

OCNRN63, RN · Dec 1, 2013

I am not a future nurse. I just never changed my name. . I am still silly, and I will always be a student. 6 years ER/ ICU
We actually have a hospital system here that asks if we are willing to pray with the patients as an application question. Something about their mission, apparently. They are a different Catholic system.
I am not obnoxious about it, and I may never ask someone again. I have no idea why I DID ask on the occasions I have. It seemed to fly out of my mouth. This is why I sought opinions from my brilliant all nurses colleagues. :)

They're asking if you are willing to pray with the patient; they're not asking if you are willing to initiate the discussion of prayer.

I agree with the PP who said that patients may feel they'll get inferior care if they don't agree to your offer to pray with/for them.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Dec 1, 2013

If the application asks if you would be willing to pray with a patient, then there must be some policy regarding this. What is the practice in your unit? If this is a private Catholic hospital, then the rules may be far different than a public hospital.

I would ask if this is an appropriate intervention. I would also ask that the chaplin be present should the patient want them to be. The priest can come and do any annointment of the sick, last rites, etc. Should you want to say a rosary for your patients, you could, but not necessarily at bedside--when you do your own prayer rituals.

With all this being said, if this is common practice in this particular hospital culture, you need to know this, so ask for clarification. But as a general rule, use your resources for spiritual interventions, and pray for God's will for your patients when you say your prayers.

As far as a public hospital not affiliated with a religious organization, it can be a highly inappropriate intervention for patients at a vulnerable time for a nurse to ask if they can pray for said patient, pray with a patient, unless your primary role is as a chaplain. But you can ask if they want their own minister/priest/religious leader contacted, help facilitate whatever ritual they are wanting to participate in, that type of thing.

I find religious studies fascinating, and keep a "file in my head" of various religious needs. From Wiccan to Orthodox Jewish, everyone has interesting traditions/rituals. But use your resources.

amoLucia · Dec 3, 2013

They NEVER taught me in my 12 years of Catholic school that I have to check with someone in order to pray for them. Prayer is between God and me - for whatever, whenever and wherever.

Many posters here on AN have issues & problems that cause them distress. I freq post that 'I'll hold good thoughts and wishes' for them. But I would never presume to even ASK them for their permission for a prayer. I don't know their religion, nor even if they accept the concept of prayer. Like you, on occasion, I have offered a prayer for guidance & success for some task, but again, it's between God & me. And between God and me should I choose to pray for AN members or any of my pts.

I've worked in Catholic facilities but I have never done as you wrote. I DO pray for folk, but on my private terms. Regardless of your facility's mission, etc, you're too close to crossing over to what many consider inappropriate for a work environment relationship.