Anybody work in a religious hospital?

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I'm considering going to work at a (*gasp*) catholic hospital when I graduate.

Has anyone ever worked at a religious institution? What do you find the differences are between these and public, nondenominational hospitals, if any?

I'd really appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Reb

:)

Specializes in Psych, Derm,Eye,Ortho,Prison,Surg,Med,.

Hi Reb:

I have worked in Catholic hospitals in the past.

At this present time, you will rarely see a nun in

any kind of a habit. In fact, you won't even know

anymore who is a nun and who is not.

Catholic hospitals are no different than private-

for-profit hospitals. They are now run by a paid

administrator, and except for abortions, you'd

never know you were working in a religious hospital.

:rolleyes: :saint: :)

i work in a catholic hospital..and i am not catholic..it has never been a problem..i had a tubal..and the health plan would not pay for it so i had to pay for it out of my own pocket..but it was money well spent!!we have clergy for all denominations working there and i have never heard a complaint from a patient because the preist came to visit with them and they wernt catholic...they keep all of their bedside interactions pretty generic..we have a prayer over the loudspeaker every morning too....

Originally posted by traumaRUs

I currrently work for Catholic hospital - no birth control, no abortion, but that's about it.

I worked for a Catholic hospital for 4 years. The only other thing we couldn't do were MSO4 drips for pain...they considered it killing. :confused: (That was the one thing I had a REAL problem with...and I'm Catholic.)

Specializes in Med-Surg.

My spouse worked in a huge Catholic hospital in Tampa and found the atomsphere very good to work in. (The top administrator was Jewish and they joined a group that partnered them up with a Baptist hospital).

Hi, I worked for the Catholic Health Initiatives out in WA state. I must say I worked with some of the best people ever! I loved working there! They are professional and we were more like a big family then co-workers! Good luck! I dont think you that you are going to make a mistake working for a Catholic Hospital.

Good Luck in whatever you decide!:cool:

When I graduated from nursing school I was offered a position in a Catholic hospital. I felt uncomfortable. I'm a (fairly) liberal Presbyterian so I went with the large teaching hospital insead. Who knows....maybe it was a better hospital but I strongly feel that birth control is a CRITICAL element to female health.

I'm not Catholic, but at my Catholic hospital birth control pills are allowed to be prescribed and given. THey don't do tubals unless it is for a medical reason ( I think). I dont' work OB, so it doen't affect me. I have no problems with working for a Catholic hosp.

I trained in a Catholic hospital, & found it ok for the most part -- the only thing I had a problem with was the hypocrisy!! Have since worked in other Catholic institutions, & it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem -- but this one was in a country area where everyone knew everyone, down to how much money they had, & the nuns used to visit the terminally ill pts who had loads of cash on a daily basis, but ignore the ones who were struggling.

I may have got a skewed version of what was happening, but it seemed to me that they were trying to worm their way into the estates of the people who could "help out" the hospital with cash donations.....maybe that's just my cynical side coming out.....

Originally posted by PerkyCardiacRN

I worked for a Catholic hospital for 4 years. The only other thing we couldn't do were MSO4 drips for pain...they considered it killing. :confused: (That was the one thing I had a REAL problem with...and I'm Catholic.)

OMG Perky! That's horrible. And it's certainly not in keeping with the Catholic doctrine, either. I'd have a major problem with that, as well! We're not allowd to kill someone, even as an act of mercy (legally or per the church). But a person who is terminally ill and in pain deserves pain relief, even if it does hasten his or her death. Morphine is God's gift to people in pain and suffering from panic and air hunger with COPD. You can't give it with the intention of taking life, just to relieve pain.

Rock - it depends on what kind of nuns you see whether or not you'll know they're nuns. Dominicans wear habits. They have long white, traditional habits with a black veil with no wimple (that white part that goes across the forehead and under the chin and covers up the neck). The novitiates (baby nuns) either wear a dark skirt and white blouse and black sweater, or they wear the habit with a black veil. Depends on whether they've taken vows yet. I've seen quite a few Sisters of Mercy with a blue dress with a belt and a blue veil. I'm drawing a blank on which order, but they wear dark dark brown habits, still.

Love

Dennie

ITA Dennie. I think the church has changed it's view on end of life care.The hospitals I worked at frequently did MSo4 gtts for palative care. One even had a hospice and everyone it seems was on Mso4

Originally posted by PerkyCardiacRN

I worked for a Catholic hospital for 4 years. The only other thing we couldn't do were MSO4 drips for pain...they considered it killing. :confused: (That was the one thing I had a REAL problem with...and I'm Catholic.)

Wonder if they could get by with that today with the big push by JCAHO about pain control...:confused: Seems a little inhumane to me.....:rolleyes:

I did my LPN training in a Catholic hospital...those nuns were hell on wheels let me tell you...LOL!! They ran a very tight ship, er ...hospital. ;)

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