Working in a christian place while being an atheist?

Nurses Spirituality

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I'm starting cna classes next week and when I find a job i would like to find something close and that pays good. The best thing I could find in my area was a place called christian living communities, they start at 12 or 13 depending on the shift, and they have many different shifts. I would love to apply there, the only problem is I'm an atheist and don't believe in god or jesus. Is that something they would ask? I don't have anything against other people's beliefs, and usually keep things like that to myself, but if they asked I don't think I could lie and go against my beliefs. Has anyone here worked at a christian based place and did they ask someone their religious beliefs. I'm not planning on working there forever either, just while I go to nursing school. Sorry for such a weird q's

Specializes in Pediatrics, Home health.

I'm atheist also, and used to work at a catholic hospital, whenever the pastor/reverend was on the unit he would offer to prey with all the staff, I just politly declined as did most the staff. If you happen to be in the room when a pt. or family wants to pray, and wants you to join I would just bow my head and say amen" at the end, then try to leave before they could ask any questions about my belifs. The only problem I ever had working there was they refused to carry or administer birth control, even if it wasbeing given for another reason. Once we had an emergency where the lady needed a large dose of estrogen asap, and the ER doc wasn't able to get it because the facility didn't carry it because it was considered birth control. Stuff like that frustrates be beyond belief, but other than that I had no problems working there.

Specializes in med/surg.

It's illegal (Civil Rights Act) to directly ask you your religious preference in a job interview, just as it would be illegal to ask you your sexual orientation or discriminate based on race, sex, etc. To ask these things is to invite a discrimination lawsuit, so employers have to be careful. Just be careful not to volunteer that information.

The question I was asked in an interview at a Catholic hospital was "Would you be comfortable working at a place where praying is part of the daily routine?" As I have no problem with other people professing their religious beliefs (as long as they are not forcing them on me or going overboard into holy-roller mode) I was able to answer "yes" truthfully.

I've worked at a couple different religiously-affiliated hospitals, and it was really no big deal. I wasn't asked about my own beliefs in the interview process, and wasn't expected to espouse any particular religious point of view in my daily work. At the SDA hospital at which I worked, they had a policy that all shift report, meetings, etc., started with "devotions," but the policy seemed to be widely ignored with no repercussions. I never saw anyone start shift report with devotions. My department head did abide by the facility policy for meetings that she held, but the "daily devotions" book provided by the organizations for the prescribed devotions seemed pretty non-denominational -- more "warm fuzzy feelings" than anything specifically religious. Pretty benign. I would not avoid a religiously-affiliated employer just because their beliefs didn't jibe with my own views -- in my experience, they tend to be good employers! :)

There is no reason to lie. If the hospital just happens to have a religious affiliation, and takes all sorts of patients, you are bound to find a few who happen to be there who are not religious. Redirection is a good thing to learn. If a patient wants to talk to you about your personal life, beliefs, goals--that is not what the patient is there for. A general, "I need to assess you and your needs" "I am unable and unwilling to talk about me. Let me get the information I need about you to create a plan of care". "Sprirituality takes on many forms, may I have your minister (or hospital chaplin) come and speak with you?" Spirituality is part of an assessment, but not yours, the patients. If you continue to redirect the conversation to them, it brings back the interaction to a professional information gathering one as opposed to a conversation you would have with say a friend. As far as your coworkers, you can certainly be apporopriate and professional without going into religion. And for those who invite you to church? "I enjoy working with you and our professional relationship, however, I tend to keep my personal life out of the equation, but thanks for the offer!!" You can be respectful of the right of patients and coworkers to believe in what they want to, and do that without having to lie or even get into what your own personal belief system may or may not be.

I'm atheist also, and used to work at a catholic hospital, whenever the pastor/reverend was on the unit he would offer to prey with all the staff, I just politly declined as did most the staff. If you happen to be in the room when a pt. or family wants to pray, and wants you to join I would just bow my head and say amen" at the end, then try to leave before they could ask any questions about my belifs. The only problem I ever had working there was they refused to carry or administer birth control, even if it wasbeing given for another reason. Once we had an emergency where the lady needed a large dose of estrogen asap, and the ER doc wasn't able to get it because the facility didn't carry it because it was considered birth control. Stuff like that frustrates be beyond belief, but other than that I had no problems working there.

That would be more my issue--IF you are needing something for a patient that has to do with some sort of reproductive health, and not being able to get access to it, then for me, would be more of a issue on my care of patients than specific religious questions or devotions or praying. So I would be most interested in what happens in the facility if a patient comes in and is say bleeding out from a miscarriage or something of that sort. What plan do they have in place for that?

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

Well, speaking from a Christian point of view, IF you apply and IF you get the job, my guess is that God is truly LEADING you TO that job! He has reasons for all He does. May you hear His voice in the choices you make!!!! :)

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Well, speaking from a Christian point of view, IF you apply and IF you get the job, my guess is that God is truly LEADING you TO that job! He has reasons for all He does. May you hear His voice in the choices you make!!!! :)

I'm sure you meant that kindly, but the OP has already told us she's an atheist. Even if you didn't already KNOW she was an atheist, this would be annoying but since you DO know, I cannot help but wonder why you would expect her to hear the voice of something she doesn't believe in. I'm not an atheist, and this annoyed me.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Home health.
Well, speaking from a Christian point of view, IF you apply and IF you get the job, my guess is that God is truly LEADING you TO that job! He has reasons for all He does. May you hear His voice in the choices you make!!!! :)

I don't mean to be rude do sorry of this comes off that way. But as a non believer I respect every ones right to practice any religion they choose and It's their right to have your own believe system whatever it may be with out others judging them or telling them their wrong. And for people like you to push their beliefs on others and disrespect their belief system is not in any way ok. You are exactly the reason this person is skeptical of taking a job at a Christian facility. We don't come up to your face and tell you god isnt real, don't get in ours and imply in any way that "god" has any part is her life or this decision. Learn to be more tolerant and accepting of different beliefs, and to keep yours to yourself.

Specializes in Pediatrics.
Well, speaking from a Christian point of view, IF you apply and IF you get the job, my guess is that God is truly LEADING you TO that job! He has reasons for all He does. May you hear His voice in the choices you make!!!! :)

I'm sure you mean the best, but that is condescending as heck. It's like me saying, "Welp, if you're going to take 2000 year old middle-eastern mythology as absolute fact, hopefully you'll just pay attention to the parts about love and foregiveness, and leave out stoning non-virgins and murdering the women, children and unborn babies of your enemies."

Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I'm a non-believer working at a secular hospital in an extremely religious part of the country- my patients and coworkers frequently make religious comments, specifically religious comments assuming that everyone present is an evangelical Christian, or if not needs to be educated and saved by evangelical Christianity.

Even though in my private life I'm a very staunch secularist, it's not that hard to cope with as long as I remember that I'm there in a professional capacity, and that these are professional and therapeutic relationships, not personal ones.

Usually a patient who makes a religious comment or request is really looking for something besides converting you- comfort, reassurance, community, support, relief from fear- and you can help supply those things without engaging them in theological debate. If they're very determined to talk about religion, you can always refer them to a chaplain, but in general, a smile and a noncommittal positive statement are all they require. Most of them won't even notice that you aren't actually saying anything religious, and since there's such a wide variety of religious beliefs and you don't really know what they believe in general I think it's wiser not to say anything overtly religious even if you DO believe it- platitudes like telling someone their family member is "in a better place" or that this is "part of God's plan" for example can be VERY upsetting if the listener doesn't agree with you.

I had one lady who always said she wouldn't take her pills unless I prayed over them first. I don't pray, so I just told her I would hold them while she showed me how to pray over pills, and that made her happy. When patients or family members tell me that "God clearly put you in the right field" or "God is working through you" I take that in the spirit in which it was intended and thank them.

It's really not that hard to work in an environment where you personally disagree with others as long as you keep yourself professional, and don't get drawn in to disagreements.

I'm sure you meant that kindly, but the OP has already told us she's an atheist. Even if you didn't already KNOW she was an atheist, this would be annoying but since you DO know, I cannot help but wonder why you would expect her to hear the voice of something she doesn't believe in. I'm not an atheist, and this annoyed me.

Thanks Ruby Vee, but I actually got a bit of a chuckle out of the statement and wasn't too offended by it.

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