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July 12, 2005
In response to Death Maiden....
Death Maiden posted on June 15th, asking what people do when patients ask them to pray with them, and these are my thoughts:
I have struggled for a long time with my own feelings about religion and spirituality, how they are connected, how they are distinct, and where I fit into all of it. When it comes to patients, though, I am pretty clear about where I stand when individuals ask me to pray with them.
In my role as a nurse, if someone asks me to pray with them, I honor that, no matter their religious practice is, or how outside of the framekwork of my own experience it is.
At first I wasn't sure if that was even the appropriate response to have, because what if this poor person found out that I wasn't religous and felt as though I had invaded some intimate and important part of their identity. But I realized, and I think that this is true for most people, that if someone is asking you to pray with them, it is because it is an important moment for them, and they want you to be a part of that and to be with them as support as they are speaking with their G-d, whom or whatever that may be.
To me, to pray with someone is a privilege.
I do, however, wonder if it would be different for me, or more difficult to do that, if I were deeply rooted in a religious community or faith. I think that would change things some.
But for me, the bottom line is that people are asking you to be a part of their experience, and to join them in something that is deeply meaningful to them, especially in times where everything is turned upside down, is just another unspoken part of being a nurse.
Posted by missfitsandstarts at July 12, 2005 12:13 PM
Comments
I think this is a wonderful response to that situation. I am not sure every nurse is as open-minded as you, and I think it's important for nurses to be aware of what their comfort levels is, but I agree that it's ideal to be able to be present and meet patients where they are at as often as is possible. Excellent post.
Posted by: Nurse Mia at July 18, 2005 01:58 AM
