I know, without getting too deep, that the only purpose a human being serves is to build the Kingdom of God in the physical world. Nursing provides a fantastic opportunity to do just that and still be able to make a living. But not everyone in nursing is building the Kingdom of God--some are just down right evil.
I knew a nurse once who I observed giving a 17-year old girl all the pain medication she wanted while at the same time refusing to give a homeless man adequate pain medication. The only motivation seemed to be that /p giving the pain meds the patient would have to be kept in the unit longer. Obviously the girl could stay, but the nurse didn't want the homeless man around. The nurse wanted him out and to the floor as soon as possible. Would you call this evil?
I'm being deliberatly vague to erase any possibility of linking this post to the actual persons involved.
Since I'm a secular humanist, I don't believe in spirits, spiritual warfare, souls, gods, angels, demons, etc...if someone were to do that, it would be negligence as someone mentioned above. Sounds pretty simple to me.
It's funny that you're a secular humanist and don't believe in God, since God, Himself, aspires to be a secular humanist and has to try really hard to believe we exist. But that's another topic.
So you would call it negligence. So would I except I know the nurse knew exactly what he/she was doing. No negligence involved. If you don't like the word "evil" I could settle on the word "malice."
I find it interesting that no one has a response to the question: is it evil to withold pain medication from a patient you don't "like." Perhaps good and evil is too deep to talk about, or perhaps it just has no place in modern nursing. Nevertheless, I'm wondering if anyone out there has noticed that the spiritual warfare between good and evil becomes blatantly apparent on the floor and in the units. It seems there's always an opportunity to be an angel or a demon.
The Monist
Once again, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? You seem to be quite strange...almost scary. It really frightens me that you take care of patients! OF COURSE it's evil to withold pain medication from someone you don't "like". You're not there to be a patient's FRIEND, you're there to care for them as a PERSON! I know all about spiritual warfare, but what does that have to do with administering pain medication? No, not all nurses get along because we are so different in backgrounds...socio-economic, educational background, family issues, etc. THAT'S NOT SPIRITUAL WARFARE! That's LIFE! God made us all different, yet we share a common thread...nursing. Therefore, treat everyone the same...with respect..and you can't go wrong. To say there is "blatant spiritual warfare on the floor and in the units" is to say that someone is possessed or who satan is using to tear us down (as Christians) spiritually. That's not always the case. And that was quite a generalization that you made. Yes, there is good and evil and spiritual warfare, however, the bickering and backstabbing that occurs on the floor and units is due to jealousy, backstabbing, gossip, "clicks", etc. THOSE are things that WE CAN CONTROL! Oddly enough, I pray before EVERY SHIFT that God will give me a good attitude, patience, and the knowledge that I need to get through the shift. Maybe YOU should do that same ...pray for YOURSELF and not label people as GOOD and EVIL. I tell you, if I weren't already a Christian who was secure in my beliefs, YOU would DEFINITELY turn me completely OFF the Word of God. God wants us to be a living example ("...they will know us by our fruits") I hope you don't go around your unit "preaching" your twisted views of Christianity. Remember, God WILL hold you accountable for that, too. Sometimes, it's just better to shut our mouths and be a living example...like I try to do!
Withholding pain meds from a patient you don't like?????? In my 19 years of nursing, I have never seen that done. Every nurse, myself included, that I have ever worked with, has never been negligent like that. Did the OP stop to think that perhaps there was a reason that pain meds had to be withheld form this "homeless" person? Perhaps renal failure, or the patient had consumed alcohol earlier in the day???
No one that I have ever worked with in these 19 years has ever discriminated against a patient-- for ANY reason!!!!!! Nor even thought about it!!!!
Perhaps the OP has a guilty conscious?
Well, that's surely one way to make the evil disappear: just invent a whole new scenario where it doesn't exist.
Gwenith, I found it on http://www.ajc.com the newspaper for Atlanta. It was with a story of a roofer who slipped and lost control of his nail gun and LIVED. I am applying to a rad tech program and radiographs fascinate me, so I made it my avatar. It's been awhile though since I read the story, not sure if I could find it again. Sorry.
once again, what are you talking about? you seem to be quite strange...almost scary. it really frightens me that you take care of patients!
i wish i had a dime...
oddly enough, i pray before every shift that god will give me a good attitude, patience, and the knowledge that i need to get through the shift.
does it work?
maybe you should do that same ...pray for yourself and not label people as good and evil. i tell you, if i weren't already a christian who was secure in my beliefs, you would definitely turn me completely off the word of god.
your turning on or off to the word of god is entirely between you and god. please don't ascribe powers to me that i don't possess.
god wants us to be a living example ("...they will know us by our fruits") i hope you don't go around your unit "preaching" your twisted views of christianity. remember, god will hold you accountable for that, too. sometimes, it's just better to shut our mouths and be a living example...like i try to do!
yeah, you're obviously very kind and non-judgemental. and in truth, i don't talk about my religion at all to my patients.
I agree with you ..what Nurse would withhold pain medication for no apparent reason...:stone..hopefully none ..and in my 20 years of nursing I have seen none...:chuckle
if this really happened ..don't forget even a homeless person can sue....
You know what? you can't put anything past anybody. Since The Monist brought up such a strange situation, I bet she's withheld pain med before. How else would she know those details? Someone witholding pain med(illegal) would NEVER tell another RN...Never. They would just do it and get their SICK satisfaction from knowing that that patient is now being "punished". Would you ever tell someone that? Of course you wouldn't. It all sounds like a confession and like she's seeking opinions AFTER THE FACT!
You know what? you can't put anything past anybody. Since The Monist brought up such a strange situation, I bet she's withheld pain med before. How else would she know those details? Someone witholding pain med(illegal) would NEVER tell another RN...Never. They would just do it and get their SICK satisfaction from knowing that that patient is now being "punished". Would you ever tell someone that? Of course you wouldn't. It all sounds like a confession and like she's seeking opinions AFTER THE FACT!
Your theories are very intriguing, except for one small detail: I'm not an RN yet; I was a student. So, discount me, but I saw what I saw. If it makes you more comfortable, we can just drop this whole string and move on to some new business.
once again, what are you talking about? you seem to be quite strange...almost scary. it really frightens me that you take care of patients!
i wish i had a dime...
oddly enough, i pray before every shift that god will give me a good attitude, patience, and the knowledge that i need to get through the shift.
does it work?
maybe you should do that same ...pray for yourself and not label people as good and evil. i tell you, if i weren't already a christian who was secure in my beliefs, you would definitely turn me completely off the word of god.
your turning on or off to the word of god is entirely between you and god. please don't ascribe powers to me that i don't possess.
god wants us to be a living example ("...they will know us by our fruits") i hope you don't go around your unit "preaching" your twisted views of christianity. remember, god will hold you accountable for that, too. sometimes, it's just better to shut our mouths and be a living example...like i try to do!
yeah, you're obviously very kind and non-judgemental. and in truth, i don't talk about my religion at all to my patients.
the monist
yes, praying before each shift absolutely does work. i'm not ascribing any powers to you. i'm simply saying that using such extreme terms as good and evil and "preaching" in a judgmental way will turn off an unbeliever. yes, i am kind and non-judgmental, that's part of being a living example without overtly judging people you work with. there's nothing wrong with talking about god to your patients if done in the correct time in the correct way. it all depends on where you are spiritually, as a christian, and letting the lord guide you...not acting impulsively.
Monist
41 Posts
It's funny that you're a secular humanist and don't believe in God, since God, Himself, aspires to be a secular humanist and has to try really hard to believe we exist. But that's another topic.
So you would call it negligence. So would I except I know the nurse knew exactly what he/she was doing. No negligence involved. If you don't like the word "evil" I could settle on the word "malice."
The Monist