Spirituality and nursing

Luckyyou, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2014

If anything, being a NICU nurse has made me more convinced that there is no God/higher power/flying spaghetti monster.

PHXRN1 · Feb 18, 2014

Having worked inpatient oncology, I mirror your sentiment, Luckyyou. Although I'm a professed atheist, I cannot bring myself to conclusively say that there is no god or higher power. I simply don't have the facts to back that one up. I can say, however, that considering the pain and suffering I have witnessed in the line of work (alongside a myriad of other arguments), I find no compelling evidence to support the notion that there is an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force looking down lovingly on all of us.

And if there is such a "creator-god" up above, taking a keen interest in all that we do and intervening at his leisure, then he's a sadistic child on an anthill with a magnifying glass. That is how nursing has helped sharpen my perspective on god.

In all likelihood, there's no higher force beyond our understanding pulling the strings here on earth. If there IS a higher power responsible for some kind of cosmic organization, it would be unlike anything we've conceived in all our modern religions, and likely entirely indifferent to our existence as a whole.

Live your life. Love your neighbors. Make a difference in the life of your patients. These things require no god; only the goodness of your heart, the gift of your intellect, and the skill of your hands.

Enlightenedx · Feb 18, 2014

Yes i do not believe that if there was a god, he would he all lovingly and that the world would be filled with justice and stuff ..because god (that is supposedly freedom) encourages us to think!! I mean, if we would all be in pardise right now, we wouldnt be able to think and love and commit sacrifices, we wouldnt be able to learn !

Sorry for my weak english, i am french lol

Enlightenedx · Feb 18, 2014

So yeah i kinda believe in a god :)

But you guys have interesting perspective :)

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Feb 20, 2014

My question to you is did your nursing career impacted your belief in spirituality ? Thoughts?[/quote']
Im a new nurse and worked as a CNA for about 2 yrs prior. For me, I've grown more close to God and have become more convinced of him thru my journey to become a nurse. As I work with patients I truly have felt God work through me to minister to others....without my ever mentioning God out loud.

chopwood carrywater · Feb 21, 2014

Having worked inpatient oncology, I mirror your sentiment, Luckyyou. Although I'm a professed atheist, I cannot bring myself to conclusively say that there is no god or higher power. I simply don't have the facts to back that one up. I can say, however, that considering the pain and suffering I have witnessed in the line of work (alongside a myriad of other arguments), I find no compelling evidence to support the notion that there is an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force looking down lovingly on all of us.
And if there is such a "creator-god" up above, taking a keen interest in all that we do and intervening at his leisure, then he's a sadistic child on an anthill with a magnifying glass. That is how nursing has helped sharpen my perspective on god.
In all likelihood, there's no higher force beyond our understanding pulling the strings here on earth. If there IS a higher power responsible for some kind of cosmic organization, it would be unlike anything we've conceived in all our modern religions, and likely entirely indifferent to our existence as a whole.
Live your life. Love your neighbors. Make a difference in the life of your patients. These things require no god; only the goodness of your heart, the gift of your intellect, and the skill of your hands.

That about sums it up for me as well. People have asked/told me that there must be more...

I understand their wish and belief that that is true but regardless of whether it is or not, I believe that the joy - and all of the other experiences I receive and give - is enough for me to be satisfied with our lot in life.

And if there is a god... if my imperfect, mostly kind and respectfully lived life is not enough to keep me and others like me out of eternal damnation... Well then that is also a deity that will not get my respect. And, if this god is omniscient then there's no point in saying anything other than what I truly believe.

AspiringToRN2 · Feb 23, 2014

My decision to be a nurse was influenced by my faith. I never imagined I would be a nurse until I was 38 years old and I had a life-changing spiritual encounter. Now, here I am... I'll be starting Nursing School in June and I can hardly wait.

I believe we are all on earth to fulfil a particular purpose that is part of a highly intricate plan. I believe in one God, who created everything seen and unseen. His plan is what we are here to accomplish but we were created with the ability to choose whether or not to be part of that plan. Having said that, I chose to be a nurse in order to, among other things, alleviate pain, bring enlightenment (education, help solve problems, bring Jesus to those who don't know him) and to care for those in whatever need. Christianity, according to the blue-print given to us by Jesus, is a caring faith.

My mum was another very important influence on my decision to be a nurse. She was a trained nurse but because in Africa, where problems are very often complex, she ended up working with the very poorest of communities, advocating and equipping them with skills to help them to alleviate poverty. Caring and education often go hand in hand, in that many health problems can be solved by means not necessarily medical but require multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral approaches and solutions. Diseases caused by poor nutrition are examples which can be solved by equipping people with skills to grow food - food security - and the most efficient use of food - proper nutrition. Those best positioned to help, in this example, would be the departments of Agriculture, Education for school feeding programmes and projects and department of Health, especially nurses and nutritionists.

Either way, whether or not we become nurses for spiritual reasons, I believe nursing should be something we selflessly do for other people's benefit and if we get something out, well, yay!

Mr. Murse · Mar 4, 2014

I think this thread reaffirms what I've believed for a long time now: you will usually see what you want to see.

The people that go into nursing (or just into life) believing in a Biblical-type god and trying to see him in the world around will find him. They will see things and interpret them as "god's love and mercy" or "god's amazing hand" or god's "mysterious ways".

The people (like me) that go into nursing believing in the world I can see and study don't see the Biblical god that the person mentioned above does. I will see the same things the Christian does and be amazed by science and the function of the human body and the capabilities of modern medicine, no thanks to invisible guy in the sky.

On rare occasion, people experience a situation that drastically alters their belief system, but for the most part we taylor our world view to our chosen perception, often at the expense of rational thinking and obvious facts.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2014

Nope. I'm a Christian of the Reformed Baptist variety and I am a nurse...but the latter didn't influence the former.

toomuchbaloney · Mar 20, 2014

"did your nursing career impacted your belief in spirituality ?"

No

My spirituality, however, impacts my nursing career everyday.

annaotis · Mar 28, 2014

My faith in God is totally intertwined with my calling to be a nurse and with how I try to live my life. I believe that God is real and that He loves and cares for me and for you (whomever might be reading this). I try to give that love and care to my patients, and to those around me. It affects all that I do. Choices , decisions I make. I am flawed , but I try to live in a mindful way, treating others how God wants me to treat them- and boy that is difficult sometimes! I don't always make it, but I strive to. Always striving. Always believing. It's what keeps me going in this life.