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 ER/Trauma.
Yet the only leaders you've ever had have been Christian males.
Someone once told me that the reason Lieberman would never get elected was because this country would never elect a Jew...

I didn't think much of it then, but then I recall how certain sections of people were 'flustered' when Kennedy was elected and people thought that the Pope was pretty much calling the shots now.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Is that a servants heart to be able to clean feces and vomit, to hold a dying person's hand and resite "The Lords Prayer" ?To hold and comfort the Left Behind? To have your hand on a transducer and see a baby so tiny you need a microscope and yet know there is life in that heartbeat. I maybe tired and downhearted about being a nurse but I Believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin ,lived on this earth to better understand me ,and died for my sins b/c there is no work on this earth that would get me into Heaven except my faith and to live each day to the Glory of Jesus Christ my Savior . Sorry I didn't mean to get on a soapbox Thanks for letting me heal a little

Yeah..what she said !

Couldn't agree more.

LPN 90

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Why do you think that America alone is unique in this? I am a British citizen and lived there for 27 years. We have had both a Jewish and a female leader (Prime Minister). You haven't. We also hold true that there should be no discrimination on gender or religious grounds. Yet the only leaders you've ever had have been Christian males.

It's the fault of the British.

If the British didn't discriminate, the Puritans would have felt free to practice their religion in Britain and never came to America.

A lot of how we think and act can go back to our Puritain roots.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I'm not a christian and am sick and tired of it coming up in every damn subject. If you're not a christian in the USa you're obviously nothing.

I nearly spit my coffee out at this.

To hear the some Christians talk, it's o.k. in America to Christian bash, to be a Christian in this country is to have to be undercover, as the left wing terrorists are trying to erase Christianity from a country that was founded by our Christian foreparents "In God We Trust"., and it's so hard to be a Christian in this country and if you're Christian your nothing. You can't even say Merry Christmas anymore.

Interesting people's perspectives.:lol2:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Why do you think that America alone is unique in this? I am a British citizen and lived there for 27 years. We have had both a Jewish and a female leader (Prime Minister). You haven't. We also hold true that there should be no discrimination on gender or religious grounds. Yet the only leaders you've ever had have been Christian males.

I never claimed that America was unique in it, although it was a fairly unique idea 240 yrs ago. I was merely answering your claim that being atheistic in America makes a citizen 'nothing'. It does not. As some would point out, several of our founding fathers were quite agnostic, if not atheist. And certainly, a large percentage of our current leaders use religion as nothing more than a political prop.

I am claiming that, even in the Bible belt, where I live, atheists can live more or less unmolested and free to hold that viewpoint. Sure, sure, you are going to run into people who cannot believe that anyone would choose to eschew God. But listening to people be astounded by your viewpoint is NOT the same as being outcasted from society as a result.

America is far more tolerant than we are given credit to be. You need look no further than Hollywood and our mass media to understand this.

~faith,

Timothy.

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I nearly spit my coffee out at this.

To hear the some Christians talk, it's o.k. in America to Christian bash, to be a Christian in this country is to have to be undercover, as the left wing terrorists are trying to erase Christianity from a country that was founded by our Christian foreparents "In God We Trust"., and it's so hard to be a Christian in this country and if you're Christian your nothing. You can't even say Merry Christmas anymore.

Interesting people's perspectives.:lol2:

I totally agree! I was raised Catholic and now I am a practicing Buddhist. Just saying that I am not Christian these days makes me feel like I have five heads. It is very unfortunate at the lack to tollerance in this country these days. In any event, I agree that spirituality and religion are two different things. For me, spirituality is your belief system and religion is the practice of that belief system. Anyways, those are my two cents.

Peace,

bubalu

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Survey of American's attitudes towards atheists and agnostics:

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/255008.htm

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).
Is that a servants heart to be able to clean feces and vomit, to hold a dying person's hand and resite "The Lords Prayer" ?To hold and comfort the Left Behind? To have your hand on a transducer and see a baby so tiny you need a microscope and yet know there is life in that heartbeat. I maybe tired and downhearted about being a nurse but I Believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin ,lived on this earth to better understand me ,and died for my sins b/c there is no work on this earth that would get me into Heaven except my faith and to live each day to the Glory of Jesus Christ my Savior . Sorry I didn't mean to get on a soapbox Thanks for letting me heal a little

:yeahthat:

God Bless You

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

delete

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

Originally Posted by vloho

Is that a servants heart to be able to clean feces and vomit, to hold a dying person's hand and resite "The Lords Prayer" ?To hold and comfort the Left Behind? To have your hand on a transducer and see a baby so tiny you need a microscope and yet know there is life in that heartbeat. I maybe tired and downhearted about being a nurse but I Believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin ,lived on this earth to better understand me ,and died for my sins b/c there is no work on this earth that would get me into Heaven except my faith and to live each day to the Glory of Jesus Christ my Savior . Sorry I didn't mean to get on a soapbox Thanks for letting me heal a little

And to you, Thank you for showing Christ love to your patients!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.
Is that a servants heart to be able to clean feces and vomit, to hold a dying person's hand and resite "The Lords Prayer" ?To hold and comfort the Left Behind? To have your hand on a transducer and see a baby so tiny you need a microscope and yet know there is life in that heartbeat. I maybe tired and downhearted about being a nurse but I Believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin ,lived on this earth to better understand me ,and died for my sins b/c there is no work on this earth that would get me into Heaven except my faith and to live each day to the Glory of Jesus Christ my Savior . Sorry I didn't mean to get on a soapbox Thanks for letting me heal a little

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!

Mave.

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I think as a nurse, we can express empathy to our PT but there are also limitations. If it doesnt contradict our beliefs, I think its ok, but if it is something that is against our conscience and our spiritual beliefs, then we should tell them in a kind manner what we feel about it. Speaking of religious beliefs, may I ask and anyone can reply. My question is this., Does a nurse have the right to refuse treatment to a patient when it is against the nurse's religious beliefs or principle. Administering blood transfusions for instance, can we as nurses refuse to do it. Is there any particular law involved here.

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