"The Jesus Factor"

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A collegue of mine in the ICU is soon moving to Home Health for several reasons, both personal and otherwise. At the nurses station the other day, she and one of the doctors were talking, and she mentioned to him, regarding one of his patients, that "The Jesus factor was all squared away". This co-worker is a very active Christian and so is the MD in question. I asked her what that meant and she said that she liked to make sure where people were going when they die. She said that that was one reason why she wanted to do home health and hospice, was to help people find Jesus before they die.

She is an awesome, awesome nurse, but I was always thought that this is not ethical. I would never discuss religion with a patient unless they wanted to and I don't think it's correct to try to convert them. She's basically going to be evangelizing her Home Health patients. I find that disturbing.

It seems to me that someone is taking a simple statement made by a christian nurse out of context. If she is truly a christian then she knows that brow beating is not the way to convince anyone to accept Jesus and is wrong. She did not say she was going to convince anyone to do anything. As nurses, alot of times we are the liason, if you will, between the patient and most everyone else. If we are there last line of communication to anyone whether it be Buddha or Jesus I would not be able to sleep at night if I did not try to incorporate a sense of peace and acceptance in my care (as a hospice nurse). What will be will be no matter what we do or say.

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It seems to me that someone is taking a simple statement made by a christian nurse out of context. If she is truly a christian then she knows that brow beating is not the way to convince anyone to accept Jesus and is wrong. She did not say she was going to convince anyone to do anything. As nurses, alot of times we are the liason, if you will, between the patient and most everyone else. If we are there last line of communication to anyone whether it be Buddha or Jesus I would not be able to sleep at night if I did not try to incorporate a sense of peace and acceptance in my care (as a hospice nurse). What will be will be no matter what we do or say.

Earl, that was beautiful and so well written. Thank you!

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Specializes in DOU.
I have to say that like llg, I am getting increasingly frightened by some of the responses I am reading.

I wonder if a dying patient (or their family) can request a non-Christian nurse.

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Im sure they could ask for a non-christian nurse, a non-catholic nurse, a non-Buddhist nurse, an agnostic nurse, etc. What is the point?

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Being spiritual but non religious( I dont believe any religion is right or wrong) I think I would be pretty peeved to have this happen! A patient shouldnt be subjected to something that could agitate them unnecessarily! If a patient initiates it, thats one thing, but not a nurse. Religion is just too personal.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I don't think it would be appropriate to ask for a non-Christian nurse. Instead, it would be appropriate to ask for another nurse if one is proselytizing.

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I wonder if a dying patient (or their family) can request a non-Christian nurse.

We are still working on the premise of not brow beating, but just "being available" for our patients on a spiritual levle if need be. Isn't that a part of nursing care?;)

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I don't think it would be appropriate to ask for a non-Christian nurse. Instead, it would be appropriate to ask for another nurse if one is proselytizing.

I totally agree. I think it is appropriate to ask for another nurse if you are uncomfortable with her for ANY reason!

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Hospitals can't always accomodate requests such as that, no more than one for only a white nurse, a female nurse, a Hindu nurse, a Democratic nurse, etc. Basically that's accommodating bigotry. Now if the Christian nurse starts in about religion, then the patient needs to complain about that particular nurse, not every nurse of that religion, because most Christian nurses don't try to convert their patients.

The problem is, some people aren't going to complain, but they'll suffer in silence, not to make waves. In the case of my co-worker, she's such a great nurse and so caring, that they'll put up with it. They shouldn't have to.

I know that I don't ever tell this co-worker my beliefs, because I just don't want to go their with her and have her start in on me, maybe she would question my salvation since I don't think people go to hell just because they don't believe a certain way, even though I am a Christian. Yes, I think Christ saves, but don't think it's limited to 'born again' people. But I don't want to argue religion with people at work.

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Specializes in DOU.
Im sure they could ask for a non-christian nurse, a non-catholic nurse, a non-Buddhist nurse, an agnostic nurse, etc. What is the point?

A peaceful death?

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.
I don't think people people should impose their religion on others either, i.e. muslim extremists saying convert to Islam or die. Not a whole lot of Christians touting this line.

I am a Christian male and I believe as is written in the Bible......the only way to God the Father is thru His Son Jesus. Having said this I do not go around telling people they are going to hell if they don't believe the same way I do. That is for the individual and God to deal with, not me.

Now I do not hesitate to tell my patients I will pray for them, or if I know they are Christian pray with them. For the ones whom I don't know their religious preference and I can see they are scared (ex: they are headed off for a CABG) I simply say "I will keep you in my prayers". I don't say "I will pray to Jesus for you" or "you need to believe in Jesus...just in case". I have had no complaints against me yet. The answers I get are usually a simple "thank you / thanks" to a head nod.

For me nursing is encompasses all tools at my disposal to care for my patients...medicines, knowledge, touch, spirituality / prayer, psychology...etc.

In closing I will use the line from Kinky Friedman, a Texas gubernatorial candidate:"May the God of your choice bless you".

Craig

As a very devout Christian and a nurse, I just wanted to agree with the above poster. At the hospital I worked at we had an excellent chaplain who was basically there for everyone. I won't hesitate to say "I'm praying for you" to someone who is frightened. It is not the same as trying to drag someone of a different faith into believing what I believe at a vulnerable time. If the person was of a different faith than mine, I would not try to force, plead, drag, etc. the person into believing what I believe.....usually I would call this wonderful chaplain and the chaplain would find someone of that person's faith.

I had a patient who was Jewish. It was important for her to celebrate the Sabbath and not be alone as she celebrated it, but you cannot light candles in the hospital and we are not allowed to tell other patients who believes what. She was depressed about having to celebrate the Sabbath alone. She ended up celebrating the Sabbath with me (it was a very rare quiet evening at our hospital). She had a modified Sabbath with the candles unlit, speaking in Hebrew, etc. I sat down while she went through the motions...learned a few things myself. She broke the bread and handed it to me. She was so touched by this, after she was better and went home she sent a note to the hospital thanking me and saying "I'll never forget our Sabbath together". It meant a lot to her. (and our wonderful chaplain found battery operated candles to have for the next time someone wanted to celebrate the Sabbath).

I feel as a nurse I have to respect my patients' belief system, even if I don't agree with that belief system. I'm there to help them get better and not to make them feel guilty for not believing in what I believe.

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the only time that assignments are switched, is when the pt perceives the caregiver as offensive, or not a good fit.

it's usually the nurse who doesn't have a clue as to what the pt is experiencing, but continues with his/her own agenda....whatever that may be.

leslie

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