Nursing Spirituality

[EGspirit]

The reason I became a CNA was because the very first time I opened the textbook (and I was a total newbie-outsider to anything like that), I felt like I was looking at the Gospel. I felt like caring for people, and being good at it, WAS the Gospel. Now, I'm an RN, and I still feel that way. That a shift at work is worshiping God, and a really hard shift, is glory.

Sometimes I feel the world needs nurses, not priests. But that's me, and even by my own reckoning, I'm utterly insane. So, what do you think? Does nursing have spiritual implications for you?

PS. I tried to get rid of the oversized image of the Good Samaritan up there, but it won't let me, and it won't let me delete my post and start over either. Sorry about that. Next time I'll know to resize my images first.

[EGspirit]

Personally, I don't care about a nurse being an atheist or believer. I hope that if one is a believer, they will live how they believe and not just talk it. If one is an atheist, then I hope they will have compassion even if there's no evolutionary benefit to it. Maybe that's all we can hope for. As for me, I just feel lucky: I get to earn a living practicing my religion, and that's definitely a blessing.

[khminh]

Personally, I don't care about a nurse being an atheist or believer. I hope that if one is a believer, they will live how they believe and not just talk it. If one is an atheist, then I hope they will have compassion even if there's no evolutionary benefit to it. Maybe that's all we can hope for. As for me, I just feel lucky: I get to earn a living practicing my religion, and that's definitely a blessing.

And Christians complain why atheists are ferociously against religion?

I don't understand why it is so difficult for Christians to see that compassion is not an exclusive property of Christianity. I am not an atheist, and I can see that.

The golden rule predate Christianity. In fact, Confucian and Gautama Buddha taught compassion much better than your Jesus.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

For me, no.

I try to live by the words in the following statement "Live a good life and if there are gods and they are just then they will judge you based on how you live your life. If there are no gods or they are unjust and cruel then you would not want to worship such a being. So live a good life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones" (Marcus Aurelius)

By the time I realised (about 30 seconds ago) I had not referenced the above statement it was too late to do so.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

it. If one is an atheist, then I hope they will have compassion even if there's no evolutionary benefit to it.

To paraphrase the words of Stephen Fry "I do the right thing because its the right thing to do. Many christians do the right thing because of some sense of fear of the christian god"

For me there is absolutely no evolutionary benefit to it. I do the right thing so I can walk away from every shift knowing I did the very best possible job I could do and hopefully along the way it did good for someone else

[nursemaryzzel]

I personally think religion should be kept out of our practice as nurses. I believe that in some very pious cases, religion can blind a nurse (or other healthcare proffessional) and make care less than objective. I enjoy helping others and while I do believe that serving the sick and injured helps fulfill one of my mitzvahs, I don't believe it to be a spiritual act in and of itself. Yes, it can provide spiritual fulfillment, but I don't see my occupation as a direct act towards God.

Also, i am the one Jew that works at my hospital's small ED located in a very republican, WASP environment. I don't want patients' own prejudice to get in the way of the care I can provide. Religion and healthcare are like oil and water.

[EGspirit]

I personally think religion should be kept out of our practice as nurses. I believe that in some very pious cases, religion can blind a nurse (or other healthcare proffessional) and make care less than objective. I enjoy helping others and while I do believe that serving the sick and injured helps fulfill one of my mitzvahs, I don't believe it to be a spiritual act in and of itself. Yes, it can provide spiritual fulfillment, but I don't see my occupation as a direct act towards God.

Also, i am the one Jew that works at my hospital's small ED located in a very republican, WASP environment. I don't want patients' own prejudice to get in the way of the care I can provide. Religion and healthcare are like oil and water.

Well, if you view your patients as Republican WASPs then I suppose you would feel they might be prejudiced against you. They probably wouldn't be, but if they knew you felt that way about them, then it could certainly be a feeling that gets reciprocated.

[elkpark]

Well, if you view your patients as Republican WASPs then I suppose you would feel they might be prejudiced against you. They probably wouldn't be, but if they knew you felt that way about them, then it could certainly be a feeling that gets reciprocated.

Well, that's certainly an interesting interpretation of nursemary's comment. She described the community in which her ED is located. I'm sure that you are aware of the majority demographic makeup of the community in which your employer is located, and the majority political view in that community. Is there something wrong with that? And, in this day and age, it seem pretty naïve, bordering on denial, to suggest that it would be wrong for a Jewish nurse to be concerned that some members of that community might be prejudiced against a Jewish provider -- or have you missed all the right-wing, alt-right demonstrations which have prominently featured anti-Semitic chants and signs? And her concern would somehow be a justification for them feeling that way??

[EGspirit]

Well, that's certainly an interesting interpretation of nursemary's comment. She described the community in which her ED is located. I'm sure that you are aware of the majority demographic makeup of the community in which your employer is located, and the majority political view in that community. Is there something wrong with that? And, in this day and age, it seem pretty naïve, bordering on denial, to suggest that it would be wrong for a Jewish nurse to be concerned that some members of that community might be prejudiced against a Jewish provider -- or have you missed all the right-wing, alt-right demonstrations which have prominently featured anti-Semitic chants and signs? And her concern would somehow be a justification for them feeling that way??

Honestly, I don't care. People usually get whatever they're looking for.

[khminh]

Well, that's certainly an interesting interpretation of nursemary's comment. She described the community in which her ED is located. I'm sure that you are aware of the majority demographic makeup of the community in which your employer is located, and the majority political view in that community. Is there something wrong with that? And, in this day and age, it seem pretty naïve, bordering on denial, to suggest that it would be wrong for a Jewish nurse to be concerned that some members of that community might be prejudiced against a Jewish provider -- or have you missed all the right-wing, alt-right demonstrations which have prominently featured anti-Semitic chants and signs? And her concern would somehow be a justification for them feeling that way??

Have you seen how OP replies to nursemaryzzel?

This nurse also preaches about the good Samaritan.

This shows us how Christianity makes good people make excuses for bad behavior.

I totally empathize with nursemaryzzel although I am not Jewish. I feel fortunate living in California. The nurses who took care of my aunt and her husband did not wear Christianity on their sleeves. My Buddhist family were not the objects for Christians to win souls. If I happen to live where OP does, I can imagine how she is going to dismiss my concern as a minority nurse or patient.

I'm not surprised at this type of thinking. After all, the deity who preached "love your neighbor" is the same deity who will punish non believers simply because of their lack of believe in him.

[nursemaryzzel]

And her concern would somehow be a justification for them feeling that way??

Exactly.

OP, just because I voice my concerns about being treated unfairly by people who, historically, have shown bias against my culture, does not give them a free pass to continue acting that way. On the same wavelength, I am expected to give the best care I am capable of providing even if a neo-nazi with a swastika tattooed on his forehead walks in.

This is why it is so important to leave our personal lives at the hospital door. We all have biases and experiences that make us view people differently--that makes us human. But we signed up for a job where we must be 100% objective, no matter who the pt is. I don't want to put myself in a position to face injustice/prejudice just because I thought it was more important to convert everyone who walks into my ED rather than effectively treat them.

[EGspirit]

Exactly.

OP, just because I voice my concerns about being treated unfairly by people who, historically, have shown bias against my culture, does not give them a free pass to continue acting that way. On the same wavelength, I am expected to give the best care I am capable of providing even if a neo-nazi with a swastika tattooed on his forehead walks in.

This is why it is so important to leave our personal lives at the hospital door. We all have biases and experiences that make us view people differently--that makes us human. But we signed up for a job where we must be 100% objective, no matter who the pt is. I don't want to put myself in a position to face injustice/prejudice just because I thought it was more important to convert everyone who walks into my ED rather than effectively treat them.

I don't understand: At what point in this post or its replies did I ever suggest people should proselytize or try to convert their patients to their religion? I asked if you felt your job as a nurse had a spiritual calling to it. You don't. You could have just said that without pre-accusing people (Republican WASPs, as you'd have it) of judging you for being a Jew. I have no leanings one way or the other about Jewish people. I suppose my bias is that they tend to be well-educated intelligent people. But I suppose even that presumption could be taken as a racist presumption by someone who is looking for racist presumptions.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

Holy Holy-War Batman:

It's times like these that I'm grateful to be a non-believer. I truly think that whatever deity you chose to pray to is your business. I also think it has no place what so ever at work. I have been an ER Nurse for quite some time and honestly can say I've never - ever once seen a patient care who a nurse prayed to or if they prayed at all for that matter. They are sick or hurt and they want a well-trained professional to help them. Nurses occasionally will try to push their flavor of mysticism on each other but those are typically private conversations between zealots that I could care less about. At no time should this impact in any way how we treat patients. I've helped war hero's, wonderful men & women and drug addicted rapists / child molesters & they all get the same thing which is the very best I have to offer. Only once have I seen this happen & I was a patient. Some time ago I went to rehab for ETOH abuse and one of the Nurses and a Counselor tried to push a "voluntary" prayer meeting on the patients there. I thought that completely inappropriate and after calling them ass-clowns 8 ways from Sunday it never happened again. Mixing medicine and personal beliefs in "fill in the blank" is garbage. If I'm sick I want somebody to help me. I don't care is they worship Jesus, Budda, Satan or the Cat in the Damn Hat. I just want help & the nurse can check that nonsense at the door with the rest of his / her baggage