Sharing faith at work

Published

I am blessed to have a new job at a religious based hospital that encourages spirituality and sharing faith and prayer with patients (within in reason, no be pushy or disrepectful). On the one hand I am excited to be able to pray for a patient or feel like I can discuss their religious beliefs, on the other hand it feels so awkward and foreign at a job since it's normally taboo.

Has anyone ever been in this position? Other than pray does anyone have advise? I have such a hard time imaging openly praying with and for a patient.

Specializes in Hospice.

Whoa, Nellie!

The efficacy of prayer wasn't the question in the OP, if I remember correctly.

Personally, I find the arguments of militant atheists to be both illogical and laughable. On this thread, they're irrelevant as well, since the OP never inquired whether religion is "real".

As for Christians, as a demographic group, they have not been particularly exemplary members of the human community over the last thousand years or so. They shouldn't be surprised that the rest of us aren't as impressed with them as they are with themselves.

From my reading on the site, the consensus seems to be that acceptable religious behavior at the bedside depends on two factors: That it occurs ONLY at the invitation of the patient, and the comfort level of the nurse. To me, mandatory participation in group prayers among the workers is over the line.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

Not my bible, sweetie. Check your assumptions ... Most of them are pretty questionable. As are the ideas of thousand year old people and talking bushes.

Anyway, nasty is as nasty does. You've tried to pick this fight in other threads, too. It's old and yes, it's laughable.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thanks, Christian nastiness always gets me here, so mean hearted.

If you're referring to me (and I don't think my comment was any "nastier" than your comments here and on other threads regarding faith), who said I'm a Christian? I didn't ...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

This is a thread where the OP works in a religiously based facility. She is not asking if you believe or not. She is asking what she can do to help her religiously based pts.

please stay on topic.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would concentrate on providing nursing care for your patients and deal with spirituality when the topic arises. When faced with that aspect of your job, you will say and do what comes naturally and realize at some point that you are no longer self-conscious.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

OP, I worked for a Catholic hospital years ago and I found the presence of the nuns and clergy....comforting. The priest lived in the hospital and he was always there...for everyone.

I found the routine of "The Morning prayer" and that "Mass would be celebrated in the Chapel" comforting. I am catholic myself but it wasn't religion itself that I found comforting....it was the consistent presence of someone who was willing to listen, comfort the dying, and ever present strength they displayed....I felt...safe...peaceful.

I think that if it is supported by your facility and you are respectful...there is no reason to avoid praying with your patients if you have time and are so inclined. I always would call Sister "Mary" or Father and they would get the patient their clergy or spend their time giving comfort and listening.

I think in our ever increasing "politically correct" society we are missing those moments that bring that sense of peace.

I have been a nurse a long time and I believe we all need to be respectful of a patients beliefs, or lack thereof, whether it is Catholicism, Greek Orthodox, Jew, Muslim, wicca, or Voodoo. A patients spiritual well being is as important as their medical diagnosis and medical Rx.

We all need to be respectful of each other.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
A Christian hospital... That concept is so strange to me. I thought the bible says in Mark 11:24

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Why can't they pray for patients to heal? Why build a whole hospital and spend all that money?

It must be that the religion operating the hospital doesn't really "believe" like Mark wrote?

I don't see the builidng and running of a hospital as contrary to the quote you provided. I don't understand what is so strange about the concept of a group of people (whether religious or not) seeking to provide a healthcare center for the public's use? Praying for healing is one thing, providing a place and method for that healing and a safe haven for healthcare is another.

In the case of the Catholic Church, it's been pretty common through the ages to see all kinds of charitable centers built: orphanages, hospitals, nursing homes, childcare programs.....what is so strange in the concept of offering a service that is of use to the community?

There are Jewish hospital systems as well. Same concept used :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My prayers for the pt are usually focused on asking God for strength/endurance/peace for the pt and family. I don't even tend to ask God for a full recovery, and NEVER for a miracle; I think that has too much potential to hurt people when it doesn't happen.

Thank you for being one of the few people to actually answer my question, I had kind of given up on this thread since people took it in a million different directions. I like that, it feels very appropriate coming from a nurse. If I do find an appropriate time to pray with a patient I'm going to remember that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I'm not going to engage in a debate about the validity of Christianity. Not one of us, or Jews, or anyone has come on here and mocked atheists for your beliefs, so I would appreciate the same consideration. Especially on the Nursing and Spirituality forum.

But this is an important issue, so I'd like to address it...you can take it or leave it. :)

As I said in my other thread, the idea that you can name and claim something in Jesus' name and automatically receive it is NOT considered orthodox Christian teaching. It is specific to word of faith theology, which based on some other doctrines they espouse outside the scope of this thread, I will go so far to say as it is NOT Christian at all. Unfortunately, most of the famous televangelists teach these things, and so have made it appear that it's mainstream Christianity.

Context is key! We can't look at one isolated verse and form a doctrine from it. We have to look at the whole passage/whole book/whole Bible, the historical context, the literary form... In the case of Mark 11:24, if you look at Mark 11:23, it says "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'be taken up and thrown into the sea...'" In ancient Hebrew, moving mountains was an expression for achieving the seemingly impossible. God can provide the seemingly impossible, although nobody to my knowledge has ever taken Jesus' advice and altered the topography. ;)

Also, Jesus was speaking specifically to the disciples. There were many miraculous signs and wonders type things happening during the gospels and book of Acts, which ceased later. Some examples--Jesus instantaneously healing leprosy and blindness, Paul and Silas' prison chains falling off, etc. At some point even in the New Testament, this ceases to become the norm. In 1 Timothy 5, Paul advises Timothy to "use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and frequent ailments." 2 Timothy 4, he says he "left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus." One possibility is that with then having the written gospels and writings of Paul, the miraculous gifts were no longer needed. That's a WHOLE long discussion, but just to note that the apostles did do things that are not promised to all Christians down through time.

Also, other verses such as 1 John 5:14-15 which talk about this issue of asking in His name, add "according to his will." Again, looking at the NT as a whole, this tells us that if it is God's will, yes it will be done. But God is not a cosmic vending machine who is required to spit out what we demand, once we've put in the currency of our words. He's also not a genie who is required to grant whatever wish we ask.

We are however, supposed to help those in need. If naming and claiming worked, likewise there would be no need to establish food shelves or adoption agencies. We could just use our words to fix the problems of hunger and babies needing parents. But it doesn't work. If it REALLY worked, we'd see Benny Hinn healing quads and amputees. :yes:

A Christian hospital... That concept is so strange to me. I thought the bible says in Mark 11:24

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Why can't they pray for patients to heal? Why build a whole hospital and spend all that money?

It must be that the religion operating the hospital doesn't really "believe" like Mark wrote?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

No problem! Glad I could help. :)

Thank you for being one of the few people to actually answer my question, I had kind of given up on this thread since people took it in a million different directions. I like that, it feels very appropriate coming from a nurse. If I do find an appropriate time to pray with a patient I'm going to remember that.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in hospice.

Here.I.Stand just won the thread. Seriously, great job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Seems like a lot of Cherry picking and rationalization to me, but you win, I've failed to make you at least think about this :D

I'm a former agnostic, trust me I've done a lot of thinking. But thanks for your concern. :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion