Non-religious nurses/students

[greenfaery]

What do you say when a very religious patient asks if you are religious (and you aren't)? Yesterday during my clinical that was the first question my patient asked me after I introduced myself and I said "no, im not religious myself, but I have respect for all my patient's religious choices." I don't know if there was any right answer here, but she was very offended by that. She said she disagrees with that and was giving me a hard time for the rest of the day. Can anyone offer an advice on what would have been a better way to handle that situation?

[talaxandra]

There's a couple of choice I guess....one might be to say that you aren't sure what you believe right now, but you think there's probably something "out there". (If you do)

I'd be careful with that - you could see yourself inundated with information, literature and other follow up.

I'm partial to responding to all personal questions with "Why do you ask?" and taking it from there, but I really like some of the replies other members have given. There's clearly a significant regional component because religion has only come up a tiny handful of times in my nearly twenty years of experience.

[missjennmb]

In the State I am in this rarely comes up. I can't remember the last time a patient tried to convert a caretaker. Most people view this as inappropiate behavior. We have been taught to stay away from the taboos that can get you terminated the fastest. Those being religion, sex and politics. I never have brought up religious beliefs to patients either. That would be crossing the professional and ethical line.

This has a LOT to do with what area you live in. I never realized just how much so until we moved from Florida to the "bible belt". In Florida, it is not acceptible to expect children to pray in school (pretty sure its illegal) but here they do it all the time and don't think twice about it. In Florida you just simply dont bring your religion to work. You are what you are, and people wear their rosaries or symbols of faith, but NOBODY is overtly religious about any religion outside of religious areas. I am not a Christian but I never felt as though I was being shunned because of it, but here, I have to hide my beliefs or be not only ostracized but disrespected as a person, and people who thought well of me one minute suddenly think I'm a horrible misguided person.

I grew up feeling as though this was a personal matter, but some places, its not personal anymore, its an expected cultural norm. I have been asked atleast two dozen times about what church I go to, which faith I practice (options within Christianity) since I started school last Fall. I have also been expected to pray half a dozen times, and this is not even touching on the patients.

I think the responses in this thread have been fantastic, as far as giving suggestions on how to avoid getting into the debate. I'm not suprised it happens but I'm glad there are some ways out.

[Agrippa]

She said she disagrees with that and was giving me a hard time for the rest of the day.

That doesn't seem very "christian" of her.

[lainith]

I guess personally I would ask why the patient wanted to know. And then assure them that no matter the difference in what you and the patient believe, you support them and their beliefs because that's your job. I am really not a gung-ho religious individual and I sort of think it makes it a LOT easier for me to be able to support people's religious decisions since I don't really have any conflict of my own there.