exploring the role of religion in relation to the paradigm of the nurse client...

[shel_wny]

Ok the title of this thread is "Exploring the role of religion in relation to the paradigm of the nurse client interface as it pertains to the health care milieu." I tried to squish it into the title but it wouldn't all fit. *smiles smugly*

With much luck this thread won't be squished with another. What I would like to know is how your religion or spirituality better equips you to cope with the death and sadness that you see from day to day. Yes, yes, I know religion isn't spirituality but while some have religion, some have spirituality. Tell me which one you have and how you use it in the nurse client interface. My reason for asking this is that I've been told by a few people that many nurses smoke or take depression medication because their job is so stressful. While I take this comment with a grain of salt, it does make me question alternative methods of coping. So, if you aren't religious or spiritual or if you use neither technique to clear your head, tell me what you do to wind down and ease a racing mind.

I don't want you to evangelize to me or tell me what religion you are or what is right and what is wrong. I am perfectly capable of defining that myself, without your help. This isn't a discussion about religion. Stick to the topic please. Thanks.

Shel

[susanna]

I haven't worked as a nurse yet but I have worked with death and a lot of sadness (working with disabled persons whom are not accepted by society was especially depressing for me).

Do you know whats funny? Don't call me crazy yet but I think, after a while, my unconscious mind automatically tries to clean up the mess created up when it gets to hard for the conscious me to do it by myself.

I explain. I'm not particularly religious but I do, every once in a while, get a sense of spirituality and togetherness from my dreams which seem to restore my sanity and reconnect me to the world.

Example. I've been very stressed out and feeling very dissconnected lately and then, last night, I dreamed I was kissing, embracing Einstein. Now, I don't necessarily beleive in God, but Einstein, I think we'd all agree, is a very unifying, god-like/father-like figure in world history and can it really be just coincidence that this symbole of humanity and peace shows up in my dreams when I'm having a hard time? :clown: AHA! I say.

So here's a hypothesis: Maybe, maybe even when people say that they have no real spiritual or religious coping mechanisms, maybe most people really don't notice how much their unconscious mind plays a homestatic role in giving them a sense of spirituality? Like, we automatically feed on some source of spirituality when times are streeful even if we don't know it. I don't know, kind of Joseph Campbell stuff.

Sorry for straying from the topic: I know u asked for us to talk about how religion/spirituality directly helps us cope, not how the subconscience indirectly goes towards religion/spritiuality.

[shel_wny]

I haven't worked as a nurse yet but I have worked with death and a lot of sadness (working with disabled persons whom are not accepted by society was especially depressing for me).

Do you know whats funny? Don't call me crazy yet but I think, after a while, my unconscious mind automatically tries to clean up the mess created up when it gets to hard for the conscious me to do it by myself.

I explain. I'm not particularly religious but I do, every once in a while, get a sense of spirituality and togetherness from my dreams which seem to restore my sanity and reconnect me to the world.

Example. I've been very stressed out and feeling very dissconnected lately and then, last night, I dreamed I was kissing, embracing Einstein. Now, I don't necessarily beleive in God, but Einstein, I think we'd all agree, is a very unifying, god-like/father-like figure in world history and can it really be just coincidence that this symbole of humanity and peace shows up in my dreams when I'm having a hard time? :clown: AHA! I say.

So here's a hypothesis: Maybe, maybe even when people say that they have no real spiritual or religious coping mechanisms, maybe most people really don't notice how much their unconscious mind plays a homestatic role in giving them a sense of spirituality? Like, we automatically feed on some source of spirituality when times are streeful even if we don't know it. I don't know, kind of Joseph Campbell stuff.

Sorry for straying from the topic: I know u asked for us to talk about how religion/spirituality directly helps us cope, not how the subconscience indirectly goes towards religion/spritiuality.

You didn't stray at all - you brought up a very interesting point: the unconscious. It is quite funny how dreams can be rationalized and interpreted sometimes. and how sometimes they can't! The unconscious mind is like an innocent child with the experience of an adult. It has no inhibitions and it runs rampant in the thick forests of sleep.

Shel