What would you do (or have you done) if your patient asks you to pray with them? In regards to holistic nursing would you ever initiate and ask your patient if you can pray for them?
I am a first semester nursing student and this is a discussion topic right now in one of my classes. I'm curious about the diversity in responses that this might get, and also any stories that veteran nurses might have.
I see that calling the chaplain in is possibly most appropriate, but what if they are really looking to you right then and there for prayer support??
I will be sharing this thread with classmates. Thanks so much!
I pray for my patients every night on the way to work. I figure God knows what my patient assignment will be even if I have to wait around 15 minutes after I get there for the day charge to figure it out. Plus I figure His attention span is broad enough not to lose track of things I'm not sharp enough to see when even when they're right in front of me, so I don't find a need to micromanage Him all night especially since I'd probably get it all wrong.
Now that takes care of the prayer component of prayer, specifically my rational communion with God regarding mundane affairs. The other component of prayer is communication with the patient and possibly family and takes into account being religiously and emotionally and politically correct (during prayer no one worries about being sued by God, the worrisome parties are relatives).
This requires great artistry and lies outside my expertise, not to mention my scope of practice. Now if we had no 24-hour chaplain on call it might be in my scope of practice by default, but since we have an expert available, it would be negligent for me not to make use of a superior available service. So I leave these delicate social maneuverings to the hospital chaplain.
I really don't feel any need to pray with the patient (although I greatly encourage a patient's personal spiritual exploration), because I already prayed for that patient, and like I say, I have faith that God heard me right the first time.
i can't believe that churches are different in the south than they are anywhere else in the world
i have been to churches in hawaii, calif, texas, ark, louisiana
i would never initial approach but if asked yes i would pray for anyone who asks we gain strength from each other but it would put a person who didn't choose to pray for what ever reason in a possibly uncomfortable position
Firstly I feel that it depends I would consult with supervisor first,the policy of the facility in regard to religous praying meditation,etc . Religion or belief is very sensitive issue , Maybe cultural diversity training should be on the curriculum ? Just a thought .
I'm sure this will be a bit of an uncomfortable area for me after graduation considering I'm an atheist living firmly in the "Bible Belt". Anyone out there coming from my background want to share their experience?
If a patient asks me to pray *for* them, I do the nonspecific thinking good thoughts thing that I consider praying. I once had a Catholic family (I was not their baby's nurse, just the closest person at hand) ask me to *lead* them in prayer. I'll confess, I don't even know the Lord's Prayer, so in that instance I found a Catholic nurse for them.
Specializes in Med-surg; OB/Well baby; pulmonology; RTS.
I've prayed with patients when they have asked me too. If I am in a room and someone starts to pray, I am respectful and quiet.
I sometimes say a prayer quietly to myself for my patients a lot of times as well.
I'm sure this will be a bit of an uncomfortable area for me after graduation considering I'm an atheist living firmly in the "Bible Belt". Anyone out there coming from my background want to share their experience?
I am not an atheist but this is why chaplains are available for you and your patients. You do not have to pray with patients if it makes you uncomfortable.
Dear atheist in the bible belt. I was born and raised in South Carolina, and I'm agnostic. I have only been an ER nurse for 3 years, but my advice to you is this... If you're in a room and the family/patient decides that they want to pray then you bow your head, close your eyes, and listen. It's their moment, not ours. It's for their benefit, and it sets their mind(s) at ease. I assure you that if you're not used to prayer (which I wasn't) you will feel like a fool the first couple of times this happens, but I truly feel like it's disrespectful to do anything else. I have taken care of patients with all different religious preferences. I have been present when mothers found out that their teenagers were dead, and I have been present when a husband is telling his wife of 50+ years goodbye, and that moment will always be etched in their memory, and we as nurses should do whatever they need at that time. I am the first to call the chaplain during these times. Probably more quickly than my religious co-workers. I feel like it's as nurses we should be as comforting as possible to our patients whether we believe in God or not.
Recently, I was working as a doula. Mom was 16, in labor with her first child. She had been in labor for over 48 hours (induction r/t preeclampsia) when progression stopped. The doc suggested a cesarean and mom, discouraged and exhausted, consented. Before leaving for the OR, the doc asked mom if she would like to pray. This touched my heart so much. This was not even mom's primary doc. She had seen several physicians in a family practice group, so I can't be sure how well he knew the patient. The way he asked and his general manner suggested that it might be part of his bedside manner. Everyone in the room (Doc, me, Mom, her mom, and father-to-be) held hands and bowed our heads as the doctor prayed for a safe and healthy outcome. It was a beautiful moment that I'm sure reassured Mom and her family.
As far as nursing practice goes, I think I would work on a case by case basis. If I felt I had developed a good relationship with the patient or had a sense of their existing faith, I would definitely join in prayer and might consider offering (I've never been good at shooting from the hip so I would much prefer someone else speaking )
I am a pretty religious person, and I do believe that prayer is important in my life, and do believe it is effective. For these reasons, I pray for my patients when I feel the urge. Sometimes I pray for the pt. load I'll have before I even get to work. I pray for the wisdom, the skills, and the patience that I will need to take care of my patients in the best way that I know how. I pray for the ability to make correct decisions in split second situations when times are critical. Sometimes I pray for the MD's and surgeons, for wisdom and for God to guide their hands while operating on my fragile patients.
However, as a nurse, I would not impose my belief system on another. Only if there were solid cues, such as a Bible laying around, constant positive talk about God and prayer, or if I had initially admitted my patient and through their database knew there was a religious preference or need, would I feel comfortable in out right asking to pray for or with them.
When my SIL was having her first child, she was not progressing as normal. The OB/GYN came in, asked for her and my family to silence as he lead us in a word of prayer. He simply prayed that the delivery would go smoothly, be uneventful, and that the baby would be born healthy. It was simple, it was quick, it wasn't requested from us, and by all means..... it is one of the few things our family remembers BEFORE her birth!!! It meant so much. So you just have to make that call about what you are most comfortable with.
I work nights when a Chaplain is on call, but not immediately at my disposal. I have no problems praying with a family if it is what they need. Regardless if their child coded, if they are facing a new DX, or if they just woke up at 4am and felt the need to pray and ask questions. When a family asks you to pray or wants you present in the room, it does not mean that you have to be their religion or even that you believe in what they are doing. It means you are ackowleding a very important aspect of their way of life. And it means you respect them, and that whatever religious ritual they prefer, you know it is important and therapeutic for them, no matter how bizarre it may seem to you.
AS NURSES, WE SHOULD MEET THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF OUR PATIENTS. Nursing is more than passing meds, charting, and answering the frazzlin call light, and I never realized this until my Mom was DX with cancer last year. Sometimes, for religious people, they feel out of touch, and they need that connection with their higher being, more than probably anything!
Nurses are considered to have good ethics and to be of high integrity(although we know it is not the case always), and it is a very noble profession. Our pt's trust us for the most part, and they spend the most time with us, so don't be surprised that sometime in your profession, that you and your classmates will be asked to either pray with or for a pt!
If a patient asks me to pray with them, I am more than happy to oblige, but I do not impose, this is very individualized. Some patients have pastors coming in to pray and family members praying at the bedside, so in this situation I don't feel uncomfortable bringing it up and offering. I have had a patient who did not have many visitors and he was asking me about God and looking through the bible, so in that case the door was open. Like I said, it depends on the patient.:typing
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anonymurse
979 Posts
I pray for my patients every night on the way to work. I figure God knows what my patient assignment will be even if I have to wait around 15 minutes after I get there for the day charge to figure it out. Plus I figure His attention span is broad enough not to lose track of things I'm not sharp enough to see when even when they're right in front of me, so I don't find a need to micromanage Him all night especially since I'd probably get it all wrong.
Now that takes care of the prayer component of prayer, specifically my rational communion with God regarding mundane affairs. The other component of prayer is communication with the patient and possibly family and takes into account being religiously and emotionally and politically correct (during prayer no one worries about being sued by God, the worrisome parties are relatives).
This requires great artistry and lies outside my expertise, not to mention my scope of practice. Now if we had no 24-hour chaplain on call it might be in my scope of practice by default, but since we have an expert available, it would be negligent for me not to make use of a superior available service. So I leave these delicate social maneuverings to the hospital chaplain.
I really don't feel any need to pray with the patient (although I greatly encourage a patient's personal spiritual exploration), because I already prayed for that patient, and like I say, I have faith that God heard me right the first time.