"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.

I am not a nurse, I am 'justavolunteer'. One of the first things all volunteers are told is "Stay away from topics like religion and politics". It is because these things are sensitive, personal issues that can often lead to tempers flaring. There are definite policies at my location against attempted sales pitches for ANYTHING. It doesn't matter if it's religion, politics, or Acme floor cleaner. I would be risking dismissal as a volunteer to violate the policy. A nurse or anyone else would be in hot water also.

Even absent a hospital policy, I would consider it an ethical violation to lean on a pt. Such people are a captive audience and cannot simply leave.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

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So, just out of curiosity, if she had a patient that were Jewish or Muslim, would she feel it's her duty to "set them straight"? Because THAT is totally unethical and she should have her nursing license revoked for that. We as RN's need to care for patients with respect to ALL religions no matter how much we may disagree with their beliefs.

I'm Jewish, and if my parents had a nurse that did the whole "jesus" routine on us...I would report her to an administrator and to the licensing board.

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I think it is perfectly ethical to talk to a patient about religion. As a Christian I not only think it is ethical but necessary. I have spoken to patients and have rarely been asked not no pray with them. If they ask me not to, I say nothing else. I'm not Catholic, but I have sat and prayed the rosery with a couple of folks because they asked me to and it gave them great comfort. If we provide comfort in this live for our patients, we should be even more concerned about the next. I now work in public schools, so my ability to talk with the students is restricted by law, and I certainly respect that, but I have spoken to teachers and other staff. They have come to me because they know I am a Christian and asked me to pray for them or a family member.

There is a lot of discussion about power imbalance on this thread, and I think this post gives us a good example. Patient's are well aware of the fact that the nurse is going to be their most consistent health care provider during the course of their hospital stay. They oftentimes know how busy their nurse is, and probably fear that they won't get the things they need if they think the nurse doesn't like them for some reason. This is the kind of fear that we, as professionals, have a duty to expel from our patient's minds. They are there to be treated, and will get whatever treatment they need no matter who they are or what they believe. If a nurse walks into a room and starts talking about religion, that patient may very well not say anything to stop her/him out of fear that the nurse will judge them, ignore them, or try to witness to them. How incredibly awkward and miserable for that patient. This is why it is totally inappropriate for the nurse to initiate the religious conversation.

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I'm Jewish, and if my parents had a nurse that did the whole "jesus" routine on us...I would report her to an administrator and to the licensing board.

i think that's the point of this thread.

whatever one's religious or non-religious affiliation is, it is just downright disrespectful to assume 'their' religion is the one to proselytize.

many pts bring up God at the end of life.

it is up to the nurse to carefully pursue the specifics of their beliefs.

many are comforted by generic words of reassurance.

this is where the one-size-fits-most chaplain, can be most comforting.

leslie

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

I didn't want to delve too much into this nurses plans in order to let sleeping dogs lie and not stir up a hornet's nest. I'm afraid to confront her myself, she has more social clout than I in our workplace, and I've learned that it's best to respect the social hierarchy at work for my own survival.

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

I'm going for a walk now. I don't think I should bring it up again with her, there's enough trouble in life, but it really bugs me. I do get fits of rightous indignation that have gotten me in hot water with people, so I'd best keep my mouth shut on this one. Her last day was Friday on our unit, I was supposed to work half of it for her as a favor, but we both got low census.

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Specializes in I think I've done it all.

Maybe the patient initiated this whole thing, I admit to telling a dying patient whatever they want to hear to help make their passing easier, does this make me a bad nurse? But I sure wouldn't be going around telling people about it in the context that the first post had either. I'd simply repeat what the patient had told me, and how I replied.

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Maybe the patient initiated this whole thing, I admit to telling a dying patient whatever they want to hear to help make their passing easier, does this make me a bad nurse?

no, it makes you a compassionate nurse.

you are discarding your personal values and focusing on the pts core belief system.

it does not sound like the pt initiated this.

it sounds like this nurse was eager to start a mission of saving everyone.

if this it true, i only hope that her plans come to an abrupt halt;

that any evangelizing will be immediately protested by anyone who observes her interactions w/her pts.

scary.

leslie

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As nurses we have all been exposed to the importance of culture sensitivity and it is no different with religion. We should uphold the wishes of the patient, no matter what they are, unless we feel morally comprimised in which case we should request to be replaced by another nurse, just as if a patient or family of patient felt uncomfortable with staffing for whatever reason they should do the same. My point being, it is not about what I as a nurse believe or what religious group I associate with. I am there to listen, to comfort, to aide, to pray with them to whomever gives them peace, and to give the best care possible. I know that we all feel the same way.;)

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Specializes in geriatric and military hospital.
Yeah...me, too!:angryfire

i totally agree as well

i am not christian and myself i can't stand people trying to convert me so i will never bring up religion with a patient unless they bring it up and if they did i would listen to their beliefs if it will give them peace even if their beliefs are different from mine. its not fair to force your own beliefs on others.

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