Petitionary Prayer As A Way To Get Through A Rough Shift

Sometimes our workdays feel so disorganized, chaotic, and stressful. The intended purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of petitionary prayer as a way to get healthcare workers through particularly hectic shifts at work. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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Petitionary prayer focuses on requesting or petitioning for something, such as guidance for oneself or others. Even though prayer is normally connected with organized religion, one does not need to be religious or a 'believer' in order to pray. In fact, a secular person may engage in the practice of prayer for its calming, meditative, and relaxing effects. Moreover, one does not necessarily need to pray to a deity or a god to reap the benefits of praying.

Prayer also provides an escapist form of stress reduction, and this may certainly come in handy during those stressful shifts at work that feel disorganized and chaotic. I am assured that the majority of healthcare workers have worked more than one shift that felt as if it was a bottomless pit of hot wax that never seemed to end. However, petitionary prayer allows the employee to ask for something to happen, calms and soothes him or her in the midst of craziness, promotes relaxation during a time of anxiety, and bestows a small sense of control upon the person doing the praying.

Do not get me wrong. Our technical skills, application of knowledge, experience, and ability to critically think are the things that truly keep our patients alive and safe. However, sometimes we need that added boost to get through a tough day, and petitionary prayer can serve as that dynamic inspiration for those who desperately need it. Although I am not a religious person, I am spiritual and do believe in the power of prayer. The following is a non-religious, secular petitionary prayer for healthcare workers who might be going through one of those seemingly hopeless shifts at work. It will only consume a few minutes out of one's hectic day.

Quote

I am moving as fast as I possibly can,

I am trying my best to get through this shift,

But I honestly feel lost.

I simply want to know how far I have gotten,

Just how far from the point where I started am I,

Just how close to when this shift ends?

I sometimes wish I had never arrived at work today,

But I just cannot give up and walk away,

For I would be steamrolled.

The coworkers who need me would not understand,

The patients who depend on me would not comprehend,

And the sense of purpose would disappear.

The perspiration from running around is blinding me,

And I cannot visualize the goal right now.

I am moving so fast at the present time,

That I am breathless and listless.

Prepare me for what the rest of the day may bring,

Allow me to complete the job,

That had been mine as the shift began.

Give me the strength to organize,

All of the things that need to be organized.

Place the shift in focus and give me direction,

Instill me with hope and allow me room to thrive.

Do not drown me in chaos; shove distractions aside.

Allow this job to move me into a straightened path,

Give me the fortitude and courage to make it through the day.

Specializes in Mixed Level-1 ICU.

"This made my day.

I think that taking a minute to be introspective is fine, but I wouldn't call it 'prayer'. Praying is the act of asking an imaginary being to suspend the natural laws of the universe in such a way that you get what you want, which tends to happen exactly 0% of the time. I wonder if other forums for professionals have entire sections for people to discuss books written by Iron Age misogynists who advocated slavery...perhaps this part of why we are not taken seriously as a profession."

Bingo!

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Specializes in Mixed Level-1 ICU.

Listen.... when you're having a hectic day.... take a bathroom break, turn off the lights, take 10 slow deep breaths, wash your face, get back out there.

There's nothing spiritual about taking a load off when things get hairy. The body can only do so much and the mind can handle only so many tasks, for only so long a time, before safety is breached.

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This made my day.

I think that taking a minute to be introspective is fine, but I wouldn't call it 'prayer'. Praying is the act of asking an imaginary being to suspend the natural laws of the universe in such a way that you get what you want, which tends to happen exactly 0% of the time. I wonder if other forums for professionals have entire sections for people to discuss books written by Iron Age misogynists who advocated slavery...perhaps this part of why we are not taken seriously as a profession.

Aw man, just leave it alone! I agree with you to a degree but who cares if people pray, meditate, use introspection, or say to themselves "The Dude Abides" as long as it settles them and helps them proceed successfully throughout their day? Be it God, Cheetos, single malt scotch, or whatever... each of us has his or her own deity.

I work on the 5th floor of a hospital and we are surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. When things get hairy, I walk into an empty patient room and gaze out at those mountains, take a deep breath and it truly settles me. If people want to call it prayer and plug in a god, so be it. The end result is the same.

TheCommuter, I think your "prayer" was eloquent and I hope it helps people find peace.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

I never speak about my faith on this board..

Don't think I'll start either.

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Specializes in Hospice.

As a buddhist practitioner, I often take a few moments every day (Sometimes several throughout the day if things are particularly stressful ) to recenter myself into a more mindful state. Is that prayer? No. It's simply a way to refocus my mind to the task at hand, and to allow the distractions to fall away and discover what is important at that very moment.

Prayer, for those who believe in a god or gods, perhaps does much the same thing.

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[color=#333333]the lord's prayer is in effect groveling at the feet of a bearded old man with the attitude of a nurse ratched running a supply depot. i don't understand why people find it inspiring.

i thought it was just a very old poem written by the early catholic church and edited a bit by king henry viii for the episcopal church.

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Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

Definition of "prayer", courtesy of Webster's New World Dictionary: 1.) the act or practice of praying, as to God 2.) An earnest request; entreaty;supplication 3. a)a humble and sincere request, as to God b) an utterance, as to God

While I consider myself a Christian, I will not deny that I DO NOT understand God. Yet, I believe. Life is no "accident", and we truly see through a glass darkly. The design of DNA proves, to me, a higher intelligence. I am also very familiar with, and appreciate, the teachings of Buddha. But I do not pray to Buddha. I simply meditate to calm my own mind, and be free from suffering. This is a purely human technique.

But I pray to God. Prayer implies a belief in GOD. See definition #2, above. Who are you entreating or supplicating to, if not God? Yourself? I think not. One does not supplicate to oneself.

If you are not a believer, do not insult those of us who are. If you are not a believer, you need not pray. Go have a talk with yourself, by all means. But that is not prayer.

Why don't we simply respect one another's right to believe, or not? I won't insult your lack of belief, and please don't say I'm "groveling" if I choose to pray.

You do you, and I'll do me. Because none of us will know 'til we die! Until then, we will all do the best we know how. Let's give one another the freedom and the benefit of the doubt in the mean time.

Because life is hard, short, beautiful, painful, unfair, sweet, sometimes a gift, sometimes a curse, inspiring, demoralizing...

The most important thing? To be KIND. And to realize there are some things that we just can't know. Yet.

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.

If you are not a believer, do not insult those of us who are. If you are not a believer, you need not pray. Go have a talk with yourself, by all means. But that is not prayer.

Why don't we simply respect one another's right to believe, or not? I won't insult your lack of belief, and please don't say I'm "groveling" if I choose to pray.

Cheryl, nicely put. We have to tolerate and respect other's decisions on faith. People forget that when they mock a faith, they are also mocking those who cling to that faith.

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.
Aw man, just leave it alone! I agree with you to a degree but who cares if people pray, meditate, use introspection, or say to themselves "The Dude Abides" as long as it settles them and helps them proceed successfully throughout their day? Be it God, Cheetos, single malt scotch, or whatever... each of us has his or her own deity.

I work on the 5th floor of a hospital and we are surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. When things get hairy, I walk into an empty patient room and gaze out at those mountains, take a deep breath and it truly settles me. If people want to call it prayer and plug in a god, so be it. The end result is the same.

TheCommuter, I think your "prayer" was eloquent and I hope it helps people find peace.

Thank you for being respectful. Your post was very refreshing.

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Specializes in Emergency, Med-Surg, Progressive Care.
Listen.... when you're having a hectic day.... take a bathroom break, turn off the lights, take 10 slow deep breaths, wash your face, get back out there.

There's nothing spiritual about taking a load off when things get hairy. The body can only do so much and the mind can handle only so many tasks, for only so long a time, before safety is breached.

At my last employer, I would go stare out a window in one of the empty rooms for a minute and crank the heat or air conditioning (depending on season). Taking a break to use the bathroom is really quite a relief, also. I think sometimes I walk around with a full bladder and don't even realize it, but it still causes me some subconscious stress.

The darker side of my mind had a good chuckle when thinking about 'taking a load off' for stress relief...

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I clicked on this post because I pray most nights I work as a CNA to get thru my shift. I never know what challenges that I'm going to run into. It helps me to remember that all of these people with their various mental and physical health challenges are Gods people and that I have the responsibility to care for them while at work. This is my motivation to do my work when I'm at work. I prayed to God last night as I did my rounds on my first night working as a CNA by myself on my own unit. I prayed for speed, that I'd do a good job and that God would help me to do what Im supposed to do.

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Well, that was just offensive...

Since religions contradict one another as well as those who have no religion, it's impossible to discuss the subject without someone taking offense unless we all just amen one another.

Now tell me where the god of the Lord's Prayer is each time a child dies of leukemia, a painful hereditary condition, or starvation. Or have those children simply not done sufficient marketing, so that they don't have legions of people lobbying God to do the right thing?

I'll wait for someone to tell me I'm going to hell because I'm a heathen. It's amazing how Christians at large don't see that hideously offensive stance as offensive. The hypocrisy runs deep.

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