Leaving our beliefs at the door

[jordansnapp]

I am a fourth semester nursing student in Idaho. As a nursing student, I see more and more new things each day. I am exposed to new procedures, diagnoses, and situations each clinical day. The best way that I know to get over a biased opinion is to leave the patient's room. What are other ways to help us leave our mind-sets, our beliefs, our biases at the door before clinicals.

[Saysfaa]

I don't know what your mean, could you elaborate?

[NurseGuy30]

Okay, well you need to specify.

I have a belief that alcoholism is a waste of humanity, but I also have the belief that I have the responsibility to help care for anyone who is (professionally) under my care. So that guy who's got ETOH withdrawal and tries to eat his spoon while peeing on himself and swinging at me? Yeah, he's my patient. I will do what's in his best interest, though his beliefs are considerably different than mine.

I think you need to differentiate between judgments and beliefs. I try not to judge that guy--but for grace, I might be the guy peeing on himself with no clue how unappealing he has made himself.

A belief, to me, is a boundary I will not cross. I would take care of the president of Planned Parenthood, and I would not ever try to avoid the assignment to do so. I would not tell her I disagreed with her views, because her understanding is different than mine (and of course I believe she is mistaken). I would not come to the conclusion that she is a bad person, because I am not her judge. I'm her nurse. That's withholding judgment.

I would never assist in an abortion, and I would quit any job that attempted to force me to (though I believe I will never have to be in that situation). That's sticking with your beliefs. If you are in a situation where you are called upon to betray your actual bedrock beliefs, then I suggest you either speak up or get out of that situation while you still can.

So I will leave my judgments at the door, but never my beliefs.

So there you go.