Nurse supended for offering to pray

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

However, maybe I see things in a different light because, unlike many on here, I don't subscribe to the Sun/Daily Mail "they're waiting to take over the country" philosophy!

That is because you are an infidel

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Neil

That is because you are an infidel

I know, I know, but we all have our cross to bear.

[katex]

Asked my daughter if she had any opinion, this was her reply

"Haven't read about it and don't know about it.
I do remember though one nurse I trained with who was a born again Christian telling a patient she would pray for him just before he went to theatre
Scared the bloke witless and he refused to go down for his op as he thought he was going to die.
Took us ages to reassure him
x "

[yerself]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

What sort of American sects?

The gang from Utah and the Watchtower crew. Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses

[jaysay]

To be quite honest, I've had more than my fair share of hospital stays, and if your poorly enough you don't give a damn what people say or do, in fact I'm quite thankful for any help possible, be it from on or above this earth, all contributions are gratefully accepted than you

[Margaret Pilkington]

I'm with you Jaysay.......We are so over-run with qualified nurses in this country we are drafting girls in from China, and other far flung places.....but we can afford to put this womans job on the line for something so petty......she didn't offer to pray for a muslim...but if she did, would that be such a crime? A prayer is a prayer in any religion, and as long as it is done with good intent I can see no harm in it.

The old lady who was offered the prayer(and declined it) did not feel offended and did NOT complain.....it was another carer who visited her the next day who decided that this competent Nurse had done something wrong.......so who died and left this other person as King?

If I was offered a prayer by a committed Christian,(or a religious person of any faith) I would not see it as them trying to convert me, or evangelise.......I would see it as another human being who was compassionate enough to think about me outside of a work setting.

As a retired nurse I can tell you there have been many many times when my thoughts have gone out to sick patients, and their families too.
Illness is worrying, being in hospital is worrying....to know that someone is thinking of you and wishing you well can do no harm.......and scientific surveys have proved(against all the odds) that being prayed for has a beneficial effect on the sick.

[emamum]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

As a retired nurse I can tell you there have been many many times when my thoughts have gone out to sick patients, and their families too.
Illness is worrying, being in hospital is worrying....to know that someone is thinking of you and wishing you well can do no harm.......and scientific surveys have proved(against all the odds) that being prayed for has a beneficial effect on the sick.

i dont see the difference between thinking about them and praying for them, if you dont believe in god then isnt that all they are doing?

[Margaret Pilkington]

I was going to make the point that thinking about someone, is akin to praying for them, but I reckoned that some folk may not agree that there is a similarity.

I do not belong to any religious organisation, but I do recognise that faith is a great support during times of trouble.
What I tell folk is, that I work like it is all up to me to sort things out, but pray for a little help and understanding from the 'greater being'......or God if you believe.

It seems to me that Christianity is just as demonised as some of the other lesser religions these days.......and that people almost apologise for holding Christian beliefs.
We have become so touchy (socially) that we cannot see that there is room for all colours of opinion without getting nasty....and institutions like the police force and the NHS are just about the worst. It is Ok to be muslim, jewish, jain or whatever...have your religion catered for, but show your Christian faith and somehow you become an evangelising bigot.

If I had been that nurse in question, I would have prayed for the woman and not even mentioned it...it would have worked just as well.

[lazeeboy]

I agree with you Margaret, as an ex nurse, tell the tale of Florence Nightingale and her beginnings, she prayed for and with her injured soldiers.

Funnily enought the patient only "mentioned it in passing toT the Nurses collegue, and it was her collegue " normally referred to as work mate" who did the dirty ded.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by yerself

The gang from Utah and the Watchtower crew. Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses

They're exactly the ones I'm on about and they're Christians of sorts. As for the nurse in question, if she offered to pray for me, I'd accept. Whether you believe or not, it can't do any harm, just in case... Reckon the person who reported her is a saddo who should get a life.

However, I still maintain that if this had been a Muslim or a Hindu or a Sikh nurse who'd done the same thing, there'd be a whole series of posts on here bristling with indignation..."this is a Christian country, they're trying to impose their culture on us" blah, blah, blah.

[Less]

I don't think it's anything to do with the p.c. brigade, or freedom of speech, after all a persons beliefs are a fragile part of humanity, if I believe in one thing and you believe in another there should be mutual respect.

If a patient is treated by an atheist or a member of Gods community then their beliefs should be respected by the person administering care, it is not the Nurses duty to force her beliefs onto the patient even if she, (the nurse), is doing it for what she considers to be the best reasons, the patient is in a vulnerable position and has his/her human rights or freedom of opinion to be cared for as well.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I agree with you Less, but from how I read the story the nurse in question was not forcing her beliefs on anyone......I read it as the nurse was just showing care and compassion...not compromising the lady's human rights, or disrespecting her in any way.

[blazey]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

If a nurse said that to me I would conclude that all other means of recovery had been abandoned.
That isn't what I want to hear

That is absolutely stupid.

What the nurse did is no different than saying 'I wish you well' after all, wishes are in the same category as prayers, nothing more than faith and hope and the likes.

Some people are just unbelievably ungrateful. I'd be quite touched if someone cared enough about my health to do that. It's not like it is going to harm anyone by doing so.

I'm disgusted that someone would report that.

[yerself]

Whether you believe or not, it can't do any harm, just in case... Reckon the person who reported her is a saddo who should get a life.

Exactly. If I was lying in a hospital bed with a less than 50/50 chance of living and someone offered to pray for me I certainly wouldn't take offence, whether they were praying to Allah, God or the panopticon up Hud Rake in Haslingden. The person who reported this nurse is as daft as Adrian Chiles, but that's another matter.

[jaysay]

It now appears that this nurse has been told she can resume work, about time to, should never have been suspended in the first place.