help re 'pentecostal beliefs'

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi all

Im wondering if anyone is knowledgable on Pentecostal beliefs?

I was scrubbed for operation that patients family, particularly husband, requested that removed body organs (cancerous) be given to them???

This totally blew my mind, no body I work with knew why they wanted them.

I can only assume their belief system requires all body parts be buried with them???

Im on a mission of understanding , appreciate any help or info on the topic

Thankyou

nicki smith

australia:idea:

Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

I have had some experience with pentecostal and have some training in cultural diversity. As far as I know that is not a pentecostal preference.

Can you give body parts to families?

We have had to stop, due to it being biohazard waste etc.

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I've had pretty wide experience with Pentecostal beliefs here in the US and have never run into this at all.

Maybe it is this patient's particular church, or even that particular family?

Specializes in jack of all trades.

Baptised and raised pentecoastal. This is a new one on me!! Honestly never heard of this.

Specializes in Stepdown progressive care.

Also been a pentecostal all my life and have never heard of such a thing. Must have been a family/patient preference.

Specializes in LTC, Home Health, L&D, Nsy, PP.

Pentecostal here as well and I would let em keep my innards!:)

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

There's a really good book, Religions in America (can't remember the author). There's a small chapter on everthing from pentecostals to baptists, to b'hai, to hindu, etc. Each chapter is written by a rabbi, preacher, whatever from that religion, so you don't get a "well, as a X I think the Y's do this...." I use it in my RCIA classes when I get someone from a religion I don't know anything about...

In any case, it's my understanding that it is against the law to do this because a) removed body parts need to be path'd. B) Biohazardous waste.

Did you just assume that it was because of their pentacostal beliefs? What indication did he give you that said it was in regard to his "religious beliefs"? This is not a pentacostal practice.

Specializes in Psych.

Othodox Jews and New Zealand Maori people believe that one must be buried with all body parts. I am sure there are others.

Were the patients white or aboriginal people? If aboriginals, maybe they need to keep anything removed from the body to dispose of themselves to prevent them from getting into the hands of a witch or other malevolent force; this would have nothing to do with being Pentecostal. Navajos (the largest tribe of native Americans) have such a belief and routinely ask for placentas, anything removed during surgery, &c.

Specializes in ICU/CCU/CVICU/ED/HS.

Pentecostal Minister here... Nothing I have ever read/heard/seen requires this. If they need removed...Let the docs hav'em.;)

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