Good or Evil?

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.

The Monist

anyone remember ADNRN?

A

that we can attack one another without really knowing all the facts..

It would be extremly sad if the Nurse knew excactly what she was doing and intentionally let a patient suffer ..

I would REPORT her....for she needs to have her lisence revoked ..

Evil my foot ...you cannot do that working as a nurse .....

you made an oath ...you have to follow ethical guidelines...

So if you see wrong confront it ..let the supervisor handle it ..and if not her go higher ...

Nurses like that give as all a bad name.....and leave a bad taste...

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.

A

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

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.

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!

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.

Why would any nurse bother?

The question is ridiculous because the premise is dumb.

If you had an annoying patient you didn't like wouldn't any sensible nurse make sure this patient got ALL the available comfort drugs?.

See a NORMAL nurse wants to have a NICE comfortable shift...cause they are NORMAL...they don't want a homeless guy howling in pain throughout their shift demanding constant attention....

LOGIC would demand that the nurse would be giving the homeless guy his drugs FIRST.

I don't believe in God..at all... good and evil is all about people..... not some all knowing all powerful evil or good pulling the strings of human meat puppets.

It 's called free will...I believe even the bible mentions it

People will almost always do what is to their benefit...the bizarre premise that some possessed by evil meat puppet is staggering aound the ER deliberately making her life a living hell by refusing to give the homeless guy his pain meds so she can get caught by the doctor , her coworkers and management for not only missing meds but missing meds out of maliciousness...so she can get reported to her college and lose her license and her job.......

Yeah...is there any nurse alive that has the ENERGY to do this?, nevermind the evil demon possession.