Would You Pray if your Patient asked?

[LasVegasRN]

If a patient asked you to pray with or for them at the bedside, would you?

I had this discussion with some other nurses and the responses were interesting. Some said they would have no problem, others said it was too personal a request for a patient to ask, and others said they would call the chaplain as they felt it is a chaplain function only.

I witnessed one occurence where a patient asked his nurse to pray with him. Without hesistation, she took his hand and prayed a very nice non-denominational prayer. I realize not everyone can or might not want to do this, but it really brought solace to that patient.

Your thoughts?

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

Me too Duckie, I have prayed with them, and sang hymns with them, and I would do pretty much anything anyone asked me too as long as it does not involve live sacrifices! Not that anyone would ever describe me as inhibited, but it can be more inhibiting to do this in a hospital environment, but in home care, it feels very natural.

Once I "baptized" a baby before surgery. A few of us nurses in the PICU decided no child should go to surgery unbaptized, so one Presbyterian nurse, one Jewish nurse, and one Catholic nurse took a bowl of sterile water in a sterile basin (closest we could get to holy water) and I performed the ritual. We all just felt it was the right thing to do since the mother had abandoned the baby b/c she had a cardiac anolmaly.

[duckie]

Originally posted by micro

duckie.......so nice to see you and to see how you nurse .......but this is not a surprise to me.........as i knew already.........

You stated it so perfectly......you have to be individualistic in your care..............and you see what your patient needs and you provide it to them.......

please no one flame me.......

cause my belief system is deep.......but you feel what you feel from your patients and you provide it to them...........god or the higher power or whatever it is out there will understand and probably is in the grand design of it all anyway..............

great thread and keep on threadin...... and caring............

((((((((Hugs MICRO)))))))) Duckie is doing better these days. I see my doc on Monday and I am trying very hard to stay positive and not worry about what I cannot change and I'm looking UP to get me through.

[duckie]

Originally posted by hoolahan

Me too Duckie, I have prayed with them, and sang hymns with them, and I would do pretty much anything anyone asked me too as long as it does not involve live sacrifices! Not that anyone would ever describe me as inhibited, but it can be more inhibiting to do this in a hospital environment, but in home care, it feels very natural.

Once I "baptized" a baby before surgery. A few of us nurses in the PICU decided no child should go to surgery unbaptized, so one Presbyterian nurse, one Jewish nurse, and one Catholic nurse took a bowl of sterile water in a sterile basin (closest we could get to holy water) and I performed the ritual. We all just felt it was the right thing to do since the mother had abandoned the baby b/c she had a cardiac anolmaly.

You are a caring nurse and baptizing that baby was wonderful. God looked on you all with pride that day!

[micro, RN]

as a nurse if we truly care and go through that 'k i am on the clock..........so i am what i am needed to be................then we can do all ................... together, of, course.............' cause we ain't in this alone.........

good to hear from you duckie, but had no doubt ................;-)

[NannaNurse]

I have been asked several times and each time, I feel that it is the greatest honor. That patient is placing great trust in me. Praying is such a personal thing. To be asked to 'step' into that sacred rhelm with another is a great privilege.

It is also very humbling....to me. I think if we spend more time praying and ministering to others, as it is part of our nursing duties, then we concentrate less on ourselves. When you think of the pain/suffering our patients are experiencing, our 'aches' seem small. I have also sang to patients.....I'm no Celine Dion' but I think if it comes from the heart.......:kiss

Keep up the great work friends!!

[RN-PA, RN]

I have prayed with patients who requested, and it is a privilege and joy to do so. I have also kept patients and their families in my prayers, especially two different, young families who recently lost their Moms to cancer. I feel so helpless sometimes-- that my nursing care isn't enough, so praying on my own makes me feel like I'm doing something more to help.

When I was a fairly new nurse on a Med/Surg floor, questioning my abilities, feeling most nights like a failure, and fighting for my life from some vulture nurses out to eat their young-- sorry to get so melodramatic -- I had an older gentleman as a patient who I was readying for bed one evening. I was getting ready to turn off his light when he asked if I was a Christian and I answered, "Yes." He then asked if I would pray for him. I was surprised but pleased and I said a simple prayer for him, his health, etc. When I said "Amen", he reached up for my hand and said, "Now I'd like to pray for you." I don't remember what he said, but I can tell you that it renewed my faith in my new career and made me feel God's love and reassurance in that simple gesture.

[micro, RN]

our nursing care even at utmost and the most ..........medical, proficient and all the rest......can never be enough.......that is why we are who we are and why we nurse.......

but it hurts so deeply sometimes.........this we all know.............but you know what you know.......you have done all that you can mortally, medically and scientifically do.......it is up to something else now............

time to let go.......

letting go.......I cry on the way home....................but then a new day and a new patient and family...............

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo to all of us in this chaos we call nursing.......

[mario_ragucci]

"in a former life" I would be opposed to praying with anyone because I feel religion is synonimus with "wars-r-us."

But now, in my old age, Iyd just go ahead and please the patient. I don't mind wearing a hat.

[fergus51]

I am not religious in the least, but I have prayed with patients. Even if you don't believe in God or whatever, it doesn't hurt you to give a patient the comfort they get from prayer.

[prmenrs, RN]

I sure would, with pleasure.

[dianah, ASN]

25 + years ago, as a new grad working on a med-surg unit in a denominational hospital, I felt it one of my duties to offer to pray with each patient who was going for surgery or procedure. One hectic morning I had just gotten report and I realized surgery personnel were preparing to transport my patient -- I hadn't even SEEN him yet! So I burst into the room, to his side (he was already on the gurney) and asked him if I could pray for him. His eyes grew wide, face grew somber as he asked, in a low voice, "Is it THAT BAD???" I could have kicked myself for not meeting him as a person first, finding out what exactly he needed, not what I wanted/needed to give. A touch, a smile, a kind word might have gone a lot farther for that man than what I did. These days I have a more watching eye, a more listening ear, and hopefully a greater store of offerings to meet various patient needs.

First time here, BTW. Have enjoyed lurking; just had to add my few. We so learn from each other. Thanks to all.

[bagladyrn, RN]

First of all, please understand that this is NOT meant as argumentative, but to encourage thinking this out.

So far all these replies have come from a Christian viewpoint.

What would you/have you done when this request comes from a patient with a very different belief system?

Again - this is not meant as a hostile question - just to get your ideas.