Nursing as a Science and Religious Consideration in Healthcare

[MQ Edna]

Now... this is how I feel and I'm looking forward to other's opinions regarding the matter:

I consider Nursing to be a science and religion should have no part in the treatment we give patients. Since as a future nurse, I know that I will have to deal with pt. from all different backgrounds, as a nurse, I would have a problem not giving a pt. a life saving treatment due to his/her personal beliefs. I would not do it, out of respect, but as far as my own morals go, I would feel incredibly remorseful. The first one that comes to mind is Jehovah's Witnesses refusal of blood transfusions.

I'm not trying to down religious nurses out there, because I consider myself to be a very spiritual person as well, but when it comes to the Nursing profession, unless a pt. request to go to a religious hospital/facility, religion should have nothing to do with the treatment they receive. I'm very torn on the issue and again I'm looking for honest, educated, and/or philosophical opinions to help me decide on this issue.

PS I'm looking for a discussion on this subject, so feel free to go off on tangents away from my personal questions... within reason.

[pickledpepperRN]

This thread explains why no computer softwear can duplicate the nursing process.

Thank you all who posted.

I recently met a man in his late eighties who was hospitalized last summer.

He remembers a nurse with a European accent holding his hand.

A male voice asked her to go somewhere. She said, "my patient needs me now. You will have to find someone else."

He attributes his survival to her.

Thank you nurses!

[rozebud]

I do not parctice nursing as a science but as an art. Health care in general has much to learn from some of the more ancient forms of health care. I learned a lot from a book "Biology of Belief" by Bruce Lipton. In this book the author talks about how important our belief is that a certain treatment will work as to weather it will indeed work. There are many miracle healing out there. I just try to be open to all of this and understand that healing comes from within the patient more than from all that we may or may not do. Our most important function as nurses is to be a good patient advocate and give the best care that we were taught to give. My religion is just that, mine. I do not expect a patient to even relate to my religion. My duty is to relate to him or her as best I can and honor his or her wishes no matter what my belief system is. I can see one time that this may not be the case and that is with abortion. For those who feel it is wrong to have an abortion, just make sure that you work in a setting that honors that belief or stay away from OB nursing altogether.

[Jolie, BSN]

For those who feel it is wrong to have an abortion, just make sure that you work in a setting that honors that belief or stay away from OB nursing altogether.

Please do not assume that a professional nurse who holds a certain belief is incapable of giving competent and compassionate care to patients with opposite beliefs.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Please do not assume that a professional nurse who holds a certain belief is incapable of giving competent and compassionate care to patients with opposite beliefs.

I 100% agree with you there. The lifestyles of some of my patients, criminals, drugs and booze are 100% opposite my clean cut lifestyle.

But I also appreciate the sentiment that if one can't reconcile this, they shouldn't work there. I'm 100% sure I can give compassionate care to an abortion patient, but you won't find me filling out an application at an abortion clinic. :)

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

Accepting patients as they are...a nurses duty, a patient's expectation. Rightfully so...

My first memorable nursing experience and terminal patient was as an extern on an Oncology floor. An African American family...the patient, much older and Catholic. Varied children...Catholic, Muslim and Baptist. Many faiths spending time and their mother's last days in peace, harmony and fellowship. They were an amazing family, the many church members from varied faiths that came to pray....were also amazing in their tolerance and respect of each other's ways. Their needs as a family... anointings, services, food choices, and even care of their grandmother's skin and body were respected by the staff. Sometimes it was a tall order, but well worth it. I was with them and her when she took her last breaths, helped them clean and care for her body, and made the arrangements with the mortuary to have her moved that same day. I will never forget them as long as I live.

Personally, I think new nurses should put some time in an area like this. The nurses who are permanent staff are wonderful and usually extra special. You need to be, to deal with death like they do...I truly believe that acceptance is taught, and learned through life experience.

While some like to believe their religion is the only way....grownups realize that whatever makes you strong, focused on healing, or gives you hope is all the mental medicine a patient requires! ]

Maisy;)

[softstorms]

All our caring and all our thoughts are what brought us into nursing. But I think from all I have seen here, I is not about us. This is one place that we stand uniform on. It is all about our pt. and the needs they have. It is about thier life, not ours. We are not the one on the table or in the bed. It is our ability to stand by that bed or table and let them make a choice. And hope when the day comes that we are there, someone stands by that bed and lets us make a choice.

[rozebud]

Please do not assume that a professional nurse who holds a certain belief is incapable of giving competent and compassionate care to patients with opposite beliefs.

I assume nothing. There is so much argument about abortion that I know that many nurses would not take part in it and frankly, I understand that. I have done so a few times but have no desire to help with an abortion done for convenience again. However, there are some reasons in which I might participate if necessary. Since I no longer work in that setting it is not an issue.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I also strongly believe in patient centered holistic care. This includes addressing the patients spiritual condition and needs, and keeping my beliefs out of it.

If someone, and this has happened to me, believes that laying smelly cabbage over a wounded area and praying helps heal, I'm not going to interfere. Am I going to personally lay the cabbage and pray? No I'm not because I'm a scientist and I don't believe it will help, but allowing them their beliefs is paramount.

.

Cabbage leaves work wonders for nursing moms' engorged breasts. :chair:

steph;) (I'll weigh in on the topic after I finish stats).

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Cabbage leaves work wonders for nursing moms' engorged breasts.

Also helps the milk dry up if you leave it long enough....

[EmmaG, RN]

Tweety said it very well (as usual :) )

I'm disappointed that far too often, our patients' spiritual needs get lost in all the high-tech care or are simply ignored. I was lucky that the hospital I worked at for years had a superb Chaplain. He would make rounds daily, and always came to us early in the morning asking if our patients had any particular needs. He was very much a vital member of our team. I posted about this wonderful man not long ago:

I called on him often and he never once refused to help or act as though it was an imposition on him.

He would come at all hours of the day or night. And it wasn't always for religious reasons, either. One night he spent almost 6 hours counseling an 18 year old girl who's mom had died unexpectedly without any arrangements... the girl was her next-of-kin and there was no one else available; she was simply overwhelmed, unable to make any decisions regarding her mom's disposition. He stayed with her, helping her work through the process, finally finding an aunt out of state to assist this girl. He wasn't there as a chaplain for her, but as someone to help her through the most horrible time in her young life.

Once I had a patient who was actively dying, and I knew she was going to go that night. I called our Chaplain for assistance; the patient and her family were Buddhists, and he came in in the middle of the night and helped them through the rituals of their faith. He told me later that he'd never had the chance to assist a person of that belief, and thanked me for calling him in and giving him the opportunity to experience that; I was so impressed.

[delvenia]

I think Tweety nailed it on the head w/ the "patient centered holistic care"

A patient's beliefs are are part of them, and directly shape how they react to events in their lives - those morals, values, spiritual thoughts (whatever you refer to them as...) cannot (and will not) be checked at the door. They not only are an intergral part of every patient in some form or another, but they also affect how the patient will react to you. Your job is to check your religious (or not) beliefs at the door and meet them where they are w/out judgement and realizing you are taking care of a whole person with individual needs, not a just member of a belief system.

Whether we like it or not science, healthcare and religion cannot be completely detached from each other mostly because we are treating people who have thoughts, feelings and values about all three things.

you hit it right on the nail. i am a Jehovah's Witness and personally wish their were more nurses with mindsets like yours and Tweets...

[wayunderpaid]

OP, IMHO, nurses are not compelled to provide "religious" care to patients, but you are required to respect peoples beliefs. Some will go beyond the call of duty and pray with patients, etc.

Regarding JW and blood products, while I agree with you that it is sorta shameful that life-saving therapies can't be applied, the fact that patients have the right to refuse is always the ethical imperative. Just as patients say "I don't want my colace" they can say "I don't want blood transfusions" and we must respect their choice. That is the way I look at it. As a former minister, I have found that the best care may not necessarily involve "religion", but rather therapeutic communication. Trying to find out what the patient is thinking/feeling and offering the best care he/she will have, often anticipating psych/spiritual needs will go a long way.

wayunderpaid