Religion Needed to be a Good Nurse?

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We just covered a spiritituality/religion lesson in our BSN course and the instructor (religious) came out and said good nurses had spirituality and would be there for whatever spiritual needs the PT had. I understand the benefits of PTs being able to express their own spiritituality, but not being spiritual myself, I always assumed this could happen without me losing my own identity/belief system by praying with the PT. There are professionals in this area afterall and it's not as if nursing doesn't have enough on its plate already.

So the question is, does the nursing career, with all it's specialized education and skills, also view good nurses to be spiritual/religious or is this instructor taking some liberties with the topic?

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
Do you realize that the "God" parts of the currency and pledge were not added until the 50's? Nothing historical there.

No, I was never told that before...interesting.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
No, I was never told that before...interesting.

Actually, that's true of 'under God' in the pledge, but "In God We Trust" was put on currency during the civil war. Lincoln thought it would help solidify the notion that the remaining United States held the moral high ground. . .

~faith,

Timothy.

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I sort of think this is what we have been discussing in the last 2 pages of this thread. . .so no, you aren't the only one.

LOL.

~faith,

Timothy.

:rotfl: thanks Timothy. I guess none of my religious friends have ever been able to justify that to my satisfaction.:chuckle

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

Ok, the tie in: each of you nurses are nurses because the State says you are. You are registered by the gov't. Regulated. If you discuss religion with a pt - a pt that specifically asks you about it - aren't you violating sep of c/s?

Whoa. I think this is a little extreme of a view to take on sep of c/s. The government does set standards to regulate whether I get my license, but I work for a private company and have the freedom of speech set forth in the first amendment. I can talk about my religion all I want as long as it does not infringe upon another's civil rights or break the law. I would hardly say that it is a violation of sep of church and state.:rotfl:

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Actually, that's true of 'under God' in the pledge, but "In God We Trust" was put on currency during the civil war. Lincoln thought it would help solidify the notion that the remaining United States held the moral high ground. . .

~faith,

Timothy.

I disagree. It was placed on coins during the civil war, it wasn't put on paper currency until 1957.

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I don't think there's a slamfest going on. Unless I missed something.

What may shut this thread down is we've gone from nursing to separation of church and state which is non-nursing. :p

Wanna make bets on what would happen if I referred to Christians as ignorant? :chuckle Shall I try and see what happens?

No worries, I wouldn't stoop so low.

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Am I the only person who doesn't think religion is all about absolute moral codes? Have you ever read the Bible from a completely fresh point of view? There are the commandments, the no killing, the no coveting, etc. There are also parts where God commands mass murder or kills thousands himself (Amalektites anyone?). That doesn't seem like really good moral teaching for today's society. Our moral codes have developed in some cases because of religion and in other cases in spite of it. We don't stone sodomites or nurses like me who work on the Sabbath because modern society has developped a more civilised view of things outside of one book.

I agree.

You know, I did receive quite the lecture one day regarding working on Sundays. Amazingly, he was my ICU patient and yes... it was SUNDAY!

What would he have me do? Leave him to fend for himself? Sheesh...

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
As a Christian, it is our belief that God is always reaching out to us, but we turn away from Him. Often it is only when we are in dire straits that we reach toward God.

However, we should all remember that religion is man-made. It was religious beliefs that drove the terrorists on September 11th. The killers believed they would receive a wonderful afterlife for killing us infidels.

It is up to each person to find the truth for him/herself. I try to follow the principles of the Holy Bible. Someone else follows the Koran.

Who's right? We'll find out in the end.

Very good post. Some interesting topics were brought up...

As a Christian, I too believe that God gives you many choices to make throughout your life time to test your character, and that he is forgiving and just. It is important to mankind to keep criminals that harm members of society off the streets, but I would not be so quick to criticize those behind bars like a previous poster. In the end, they will be judged accordingly...which is why I am against the death penalty.

Also, there can NOT be TOTAL freedom of religion ever because your religious rights end where they come in to conflict with your legal rights...this is necessary because of events like 9/11. No one can condone a radical extremist group that claims their religious beliefs drove them to kill innocent people. This protects those of us who aren't INSANE!!! HAHA

It is up to each person to live his/her life according to their own personal and/or religious values...but I am certain Jesus does not condone me judging others for their religious preference or lack there of...in fact, I am sure that those who act in this manner will find themselves being judged in the end.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Wanna make bets on what would happen if I referred to Christians as ignorant? :chuckle Shall I try and see what happens?

No worries, I wouldn't stoop so low.

I agree that comment was completely inappropriate.

But for the record, it didn't come from me!

I would never have as deep a discussion as I've had with you if I didn't think that you weren't 1) intelligent, 2) understand your own point of view enough to argue it (and frankly, you can't do that with ignorant adherence to a philosophy.)

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
Wanna make bets on what would happen if I referred to Christians as ignorant? :chuckle Shall I try and see what happens?

No worries, I wouldn't stoop so low.

you wouldn't be the first...ironically, debates about religion seem to bring out the worst in people (believers and non believers):rotfl:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
you wouldn't be the first...ironically, debates about religion seem to bring out the worst in people (believers and non believers):rotfl:

There's a reason why religion is grouped w/ politics and sex as taboo topics in polite society. In many key ways, our opinions in these areas form the core of our societal beliefs.

I think they are perfectly fine topics for discussion: so long as they are being discussed by adults in an adult manner. People that can't behave like adults should indeed avoid adult topics. (mind you, that was a general observation.)

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
There's a reason why religion is grouped w/ politics and sex as taboo topics in polite society. In many key ways, our opinions in these areas form the core of our societal beliefs.

I think they are perfectly fine topics for discussion: so long as they are being discussed by adults in an adult manner. People that can't behave like adults should indeed avoid adult topics. (mind you, that was a general observation.)

~faith,

Timothy.

I couldn't agree with you more. Those who can not properly debate a topic without becoming overly emotionally involved until they resort to name calling and personal attacks upon another's character should certainly refrain from such deep conversation.

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