This Doesn't Seem Right--Is It Just Me?

[sweetpeaches]

I am a student planning to become a nurse. I happen to know someone working in a nursing home that is learning to become a director of activities and is currently working that position. Many of the residents at this home are very sick and many of them have severe mental illness's. From what this person has told me, one activity that is being held once a month is having a relative come in and preach to the residents. This relative is a follower of the teachings of Kenneth Copeland and Orel Roberts (who are televangelists). As far as I know, no other religious speakers have been welcomed to come and speak. I am absolutely disgusted at the thought of this person taking advantage of their position for personal beliefs and the ego of others. And not only that but, this is ok where she works. Am I making too much out of this, or is it as wrong as it seems?

[RN2Adore]

It is definitely unethical. I just picture a bunch of elderly patients that are probably A&Ox nothing, being wheeled into a room where this guy does his hypnosis. It is totally wrong. Religion and spirituality are important to some patients and should either be completely generic or extremely individualized. But your saying this guy wants donations....Preachers of God shouldn't fool these vulnerable patients for a buck. Report it. Don't be afraid to use your voice.This field is all about patient advocacy. Go nurses and nurses to be!!!

[greenfiremajick]

sweetp-

I used to live in TX and lost a very dear friend of mine when she decided to begin following Kenneth Copeland's church. Don't get me wrong, she's still alive. But after going to his church she began telling me that if you believed in Jesus enough, you wouldn't need doctors. She also began pasting homemade signs all over town on laundromat and fast food windows that she loved God, etc...She then told me that Jesus told her that if I was not "saved" and a part of this church, I was evil and she could no longer be my friend....That church and its followers scare me....

[sweetpeaches]

That sounds exactly like the person I'm describing. The first time they meet anyone they start going on about god...these residents are the only people that listen....not that they seem to have much choice.

[greenfiremajick]

Sweetp-

Yeah, it's really scary. I mean, I believe in God and I respect other's beliefs, etc.... But when it seems to start turning "cultish" I'm out the door.

[Bklyn_RN]

There are bigger fishes to fry in my humble opinion.

This does not constitute abuse or neglect. And if it did, you also would be held liable for not reporting it, initially.

Let us not make mountains out of molehills. To report something like this will potentially overwhelm the authorities with trivial investigations. Using up precious resources that could be better spent investigating actual pt abuse and neglect, or professional misconduct by staff.

An anonymous letter with your concern to the director(s) of this facility would be a more appropriate way to handle this matter.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Is Oral Roberts still alive? I don't like him, nor those like him. They do financially prey on lonely old people and gullible people. Oral Roberts once claimed that God had told him that he would be struck dead if he didn't raise 1 million dollars by a certain date. Yep, his God is an extortionist and so is he in my opinion.

[MP5PDW]

There are bigger fishes to fry in my humble opinion.

This does not constitute abuse or neglect. And if it did, you also would be held liable for not reporting it, initially.

Let us not make mountains out of molehills. To report something like this will potentially overwhelm the authorities with trivial investigations. Using up precious resources that could be better spent investigating actual pt abuse and neglect, or professional misconduct by staff.

An anonymous letter with your concern to the director(s) of this facility would be a more appropriate way to handle this matter.

Trivial? I would submit what they are doing is almost worse than physical abuse. To take a group of people, many of which are of a diminished mental capacity, and preach voodoo, complete with chants , hang prayers in their rooms insinuating they are sinners , tell them they are going to hell if they do not accept a 2000 year old dead rabbi as their personal savior.... and THEN hit them up for CASH?

Mountains out of molehills? I think the OP is actually underestimating how dangerous this is. I can assure you, if I had personal knowledge of this, I would not have asked on a discussion forum what to do, It would already have been done. We are wayyy too tolerant of religions bilking people in this country. It is time to fight theses charlatans.

[Bklyn_RN]

MP5PDW

I stand by what I wrote. Have you ever been into a church?! In case you haven't, all what you describe is the bread and butter of church doctrine.

Also have you ever heard of Benny Hin? Well he operates on a larger scale, he make the sick and disabled come to him, filling stadiums with false promises that he can heal them. My aunt with parkinson's disease traveled to Pennsylvania once to try to meet him, to be healed. I could not convince her it was a scam.

In case you mistook my statements as being in support of what is taking place in that facility...let me assure you...nothing could be further from the truth.

To me, this matter does not rise to the level of standards of care not being followed.

With diminished mental capacities, as you mentioned, I doubt much of what's being preached is even registering. The religiously inclined will always welcome religion in any of its deceptive forms. You can not tell them otherwise.

Yes its unethical what is happening, but so are many other more serious scenarios in this profession...like maintaining life when there is zero quality of life and no hope for recovery. Or not being fed, again, and having your untouched food tray removed, because the PCA/CNA/RN was occupied elsewhere, and there was no one else to feed you. I could go on. But I would venture that you see what I mean by trivial, and making mountains out of molehills.