Hey all - I'm looking for input on the following situation:
a co-worker has been granted a religious accommodation to never work a Saturday (hospital ICU, where everyone is scheduled every other weekend). She does not have to work every Sunday, and they have not filled the hole her not working as created. As you can imagine, our Saturdays are horrible. I have gone to our union - NYSNA - but they are not willing to do anything.
She is also scheduled 8 hours less every two weeks than the rest of us, yet still maintains full-time benefits even though she is actually working what is considered part-time.
I'm becoming extremely resentful......am I valid feeling this way, or should I just mind my own business?
But the thing is, it does. Depending on your community, your rabbinical figure's ruling and how comfortable you personally are with more liberal interpretations of halacha, it absolutely could be a requirement. There are huge variations and nuances in religious practice here, within the orthodox community.
What would be unethical would be NOT being up front about not working on shabbos and calling out every week. Nobody made management/HR make her a job offer that worked with her schedule. The risk of transparency is they'll say thanks anyway, we need someone who can truly work any shift.
There aren't actually any variations on how this is viewed, even in the most conservative of orthodox communities. An individual is free to take a different view than that of their religion, but that is a personal belief, not a religious belief.
Specializes in Neuro/NSGY, critical care, med/stroke/tele.
There aren't actually any variations on how this is viewed, even in the most conservative of orthodox communities. An individual is free to take a different view than that of their religion, but that is a personal belief, not a religious belief.
I'm not talking about the value of people's lives or the ability to do lifesaving work. I'm talking about the logistics of getting TO work and being able to perform your job acceptably with whatever shinui'im (changes) are needed to be Shabbat-friendly. Yes, there is HUGE nuance here. Just because one person gets told that it's okay to break Shabbat to get to work does not mean the next person will. Every posek (halachic authority) is different. Also the practice environment matters (different classifications of need depending on how critical the patient is).
I'm not talking about the value of people's lives or the ability to do lifesaving work. I'm talking about the logistics of getting TO work and being able to perform your job acceptably with whatever shinui'im (changes) are needed to be Shabbat-friendly. Yes, there is HUGE nuance here. Just because one person gets told that it's okay to break Shabbat to get to work does not mean the next person will. Every posek (halachic authority) is different. Also the practice environment matters (different classifications of need depending on how critical the patient is).
As I pointed out earlier, an orthodox jew could not drive to work on the Sabbath if this was avoidable (going in for scheduled work), but in situations where there are not other options that would avoid potential harm to a patient then it is allowed.
Orthodox jews aren't "told that it's okay to break Shabbat", they aren't breaking Shabbat if they are providing care to people who could be harmed if that care was delayed until the next day.
An orthodox jew physician couldn't, for instance, see patients for regular check-ups on Shabbat since this could wait until later without any likely harm, hospitalized patients where the risk of harm is reasonably likely if nobody provides care for them for a full day is a different situation.
Specializes in Neuro/NSGY, critical care, med/stroke/tele.
I have had this conversation multiple times in my own practice with my rabbi, and with a beit din (rabbinical court), and have read extensively on the subject because I am passionate about it. The RN role is vastly different to that of a provider -- and that makes a difference. I was told explicitly NOT to drive but rather was given another solution; you are oversimplifying immensely complex issues that need case by case consideration. ETA- in fact, my own rabbi was not comfortable giving me an answer and had to consult with one of his own before we came to a solution; and even that was with the caveat that it would not be long-term.
I am deeply involved in both my hospital community AND the Jewish community. Regardless, I am not going to continue a circular exchange here. My original point - that calling the employee in question "unethical" is unfair and unfounded and that we have no idea what the conversation was to begin with - is one I still stand by.
I have had this conversation multiple times in my own practice with my rabbi, and with a beit din (rabbinical court), and have read extensively on the subject because I am passionate about it. The RN role is vastly different to that of a provider -- and that makes a difference. I was told explicitly NOT to drive but rather was given another solution; you are oversimplifying immensely complex issues that need case by case consideration.
I am deeply involved in both my hospital community AND the Jewish community. Regardless, I am not going to continue a circular exchange here. My original point - that calling the employee in question "unethical" is unfair and unfounded and that we have no idea what the conversation was to begin with - is one I still stand by.
Again, I don't disagree that you would still not be allowed to drive for work you knew about ahead of time and could have made other arrangements.
While the role of an RN is different than that of a provider, what's relevant here is whether or not the lack of nursing care could potentially harm a patient, and there really is no arguing that lack of nursing care can harm patients.
Do you think employers must accomodate everyone's religious beliefs or just those who share yours?
Do you think Christians should not be required to work every Sunday?
Should there be an atheist differential on the weekends?
I have had this conversation multiple times in my own practice with my rabbi, and with a beit din (rabbinical court), and have read extensively on the subject because I am passionate about it. The RN role is vastly different to that of a provider -- and that makes a difference. I was told explicitly NOT to drive but rather was given another solution; you are oversimplifying immensely complex issues that need case by case consideration. ETA- in fact, my own rabbi was not comfortable giving me an answer and had to consult with one of his own before we came to a solution; and even that was with the caveat that it would not be long-term.
I am deeply involved in both my hospital community AND the Jewish community. Regardless, I am not going to continue a circular exchange here. My original point - that calling the employee in question "unethical" is unfair and unfounded and that we have no idea what the conversation was to begin with - is one I still stand by.
Specializes in Neuro/NSGY, critical care, med/stroke/tele.
Do you think employers must accomodate everyone's religious beliefs or just those who share yours?
Do you think Christians should not be required to work every Sunday?
Should there be an atheist differential on the weekends?
There are people on this thread who have said they accepted schedules with regular Saturdays in order to go to church on Sundays. If it's that important and meaningful and important, by all means advocate for yourself. I don't know any stream of Christianity with the same restrictions as Shabbat in observant Judaism, however, though I may be wrong.
When I'm at the hospital on Shabbat?
I can't write normally, I can't sign tele strips normally since those are permanent parts of the medical record. I can't get into the med room normally. I can't dial a phone to page a hospitalist normally. I can't even get into the break room since I'd have to badge in and that has nothing to do with patient care.
Anyway. We are getting away from the original purpose of the thread. My aim was not to have a religious debate but to try and shed some light on the issues the employee in question was trying to reconcile. Bottom line, it is up to management and HR to ensure the unit is staffed safely.
OP, don't listen to the naysayers on here telling you to mind your own business. It is your business because you are getting the short end of the stick and it is impacting your workload. Nursing is a 24/7 job and if this woman seriously felt it would interfere with her religion, maybe she shouldn't have become a nurse or work in a place that requires staffing on the weekend. Her religious accommodations shouldn't mean other people get screwed as a result. I would either find a productive way to resolve this issue or look for another job elsewhere. I'm honestly not sure what else you can do if the union isn't willing to help. What has your manager said?
From just a practical standpoint, the thought that if everyone were a strict/orthodox/practicing _____, that there would be no nurses working on certain days of the week does not make any sense to me. From an ethical standpoint, it is not fair to make other, non-believing/practicing staff to bear the brunt of someone's decision to follow such restrictions.
The bold part is wrong. They became her "problem and her business" when she started to have to work short-staffed because this nurse refused to work Saturdays. As I said in another post, this nurse should be a team player and work EVERY Sunday or pick up slack in another way then. But she apparently isn't a team player. Everyone saying it's none of the OP's business is wrong. It is her business because she is forced to work in dangerously short-staffing conditions, taking 3-4 vent patients. It's untenable, unfair, unsafe and wrong.
I have problems with people who agree to work in 24/7 places/conditions and then re-neg and refuse to work 24/7 or at least try and make up for it in ways that benefit others who have to cover for their shortfalls. This nurse knew damn good and well the ICU was a 24/7 unit when she accept the position, but took it anyway, knowing she would refuse to work Saturdays, even though everyone is required to work every other weekend.
The union is failing miserably here, but I bet they don't fail to collect their dues. And the OP TRIED to "work on the problem"; she went to the union, who failed to do anything about it.
It's grossly unfair to the nurse's coworkers--- and the patients, who are not receiving safe care. The nurse's religious beliefs are not anyone else's business, but the conditions they are forcing everyone to work in, and the patients' unsafe care, are.
Probably the best comment so far on this entire thread! I am just baffled at the folks saying that this is none of her business. It impacts her workload, therefore it IS MOST CERTAINLY her business.
OP, don't listen to the naysayers on here telling you to mind your own business. It is your business because you are getting the short end of the stick and it is impacting your workload. Nursing is a 24/7 job and if this woman seriously felt it would interfere with her religion, maybe she shouldn't have become a nurse or work in a place that requires staffing on the weekend. Her religious accommodations shouldn't mean other people get screwed as a result. I would either find a productive way to resolve this issue or look for another job elsewhere. I'm honestly not sure what else you can do if the union isn't willing to help. What has your manager said?
We have all discussed the Saturday issue with her, and it would be such an easy fix. There's an open day position from the other rotation and if it is flipped to ours - it would bring us up to compliance with the staffing quotas outlined in the contract. I think she is agreeable to this, but so far no one is willing to come to days. We have also offered to switch the aide from our weekend to the other to make it a little more even and fair. So, I have hope that eventually it will work out. Summer with vacations scheduled has me a bit nervous though.
She has also admitted staffing is an issue all around (which it is), but really hasn't offered much in the way of fixing this.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I don't blame you being nervous for vacation season. If your staffing is this bad now, I can only imagine how much worse it will get when summer gets here. Of course, management COULD suspend vacation requests if staffing is that dangerously low....I would hate that for everyone, but I have seen it happen. I guess having been to the union and to management, who are seem unable truly fix this situation---- and soon, you may have to move on. It's about more than letting a religious nurse have her way, it's about safety in staffing and right now, what you describe is dangerous and your license is only going to be protected by one person: YOU.
MunoRN, RN
8,058 Posts
There aren't actually any variations on how this is viewed, even in the most conservative of orthodox communities. An individual is free to take a different view than that of their religion, but that is a personal belief, not a religious belief.