An Atheist Nurse in King James Hospital

Published

Are there any other atheist nurses out there? How do you handle how religious healthcare is? I don't feel comfortable praying with a patient but I will find someone who is comfortable but the minute I say "I am not comfortable praying with you but let me go get you someone who can pray with you" and I go ask other people on the floor if they would pray with my patient I have been told everything from "just suck it up and fake it" to "I wish you atheists would quit trying to push your religion down our throats" to the other nurses saying I should be fired because this is a Christian (insert hospital or state or country).

i have never tried to convert someone away from their religion. There are not a lot off options since the hospitals in my area are St Joseph's, St Anthony's, Lutheran

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Yeah I missed the reference. I was trying to figure out where "King James Hospital" was located and if it was somewhere in the U.S.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow I saw this got posted on Facebook and the people were not very nice and we're assuming I would abandon a patient because they are religious so let me say first that if possible I will sit and hold hands and let someone pray. What I was talking about was when it became more than that. When they start asking me what prayers I want to say or who I want to include in their prayer for salvation. It's those situations where I try to excuse myself and get them a nun or a nurse who is religious.

and the Title was a play on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and the King James Bible.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.

I guess if it is huge problem, why work in a religious facility if you feel you have to lie about your beliefs?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The only hospitals in my area that will hire you without a BSN are religious.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Wow I saw this got posted on Facebook and the people were not very nice and we're assuming I would abandon a patient because they are religious

Don't worry about it. People get all twisted as soon as religion becomes part of the question, like we're one poorly worded forum post from an eighth crusade. Just be glad you're not among the paranoid.

and the Title was a play on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and the King James Bible.

Interesting, to me anyway, at one point you also paraphrased a quote I love from Einstein's Religion and Science (an article published in the NYTimes in 1930): "Man's plight would, indeed, be sad if he had to be kept in order through fear of punishment and hope of rewards after death."

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Interesting, to me anyway, at one point you also paraphrased a quote I love from Einstein's Religion and Science (an article published in the NYTimes in 1930): "Man's plight would, indeed, be sad if he had to be kept in order through fear of punishment and hope of rewards after death."

Man did that one nurse scare me! She really believed everyone would commit murder if they could not have to go to hell. She didn't believe me when I told her that I just thought it was not a nice thing to do so I wouldn't do it ever.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Out of respect I do lower my head and display my prayer hands. What is the harm in doing this? Declining and getting someone else to be present is an unnecessary distraction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

I guess I've become very comfortable with being an atheist that I don't mind the questions anymore. I grew up in a very conservative Christian household so you can imagine what they think of me (I'm the devil 😈 lol)anyway, like I said I'm very comfortable with being an atheist so its one of the first things strangers usually hear from me. So if a patient would ask me to pray with them I would just let them kindly know I don't have any religious beliefs but would be more than glad to get the appropriate person for them. But if there was no one I could call then I would just go along with it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry.

Man did that one nurse scare me! She really believed everyone would commit murder if they could not have to go to hell. She didn't believe me when I told her that I just thought it was not a nice thing to do so I wouldn't do it ever.

I am not an atheist - I'm not sure of my beliefs but organized religion is not my thing. Well, actually truth be told, I think religion would be fine except for the people who practice it. Many great people observe religious practices but I think you are right and most of them would be good people even without the thrat of punishment in the afterlife.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Wow I saw this got posted on Facebook and the people were not very nice and we're assuming I would abandon a patient because they are religious so let me say first that if possible I will sit and hold hands and let someone pray. What I was talking about was when it became more than that. When they start asking me what prayers I want to say or who I want to include in their prayer for salvation. It's those situations where I try to excuse myself and get them a nun or a nurse who is religious.

and the Title was a play on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and the King James Bible.

Wait what, posted on Facebook?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.
Wait what, posted on Facebook?

Yeah, AN is on Facebook. I personally think that's where a few of our crazier non-Nurse posters have migrated from. Some of the topics presented seem to bring out the whackos in droves.

A real case of "just because you CAN do something doesn't always mean you SHOULD."

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I saw it posted by nurses rock which is part of or put on my all nurses.com

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion