Comments on: Atheists back nurse’s suspension

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:42:18 +0000

I do agree, Ashley, but at the same time I also think that we have to consider not just the nurse’s “right” to share her faith, but the fact that anyone who’s given the right to go into a person’s home and have access to their person at a time of illness should be extremely sensitive to the vulnerability of the person. Patients are not a captive audience and if this woman has been warned that her behaviour may breache guidelines for good conduct (presumably designed to protect people from religious exploitation) what’s the point she’s trying to make? Is this kind of “zeal” not rather disturbing? Would she think of visiting the patient in her own time – as a friend – and spending time with her? That might be a context in which to share her faith and pray.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:19:37 +0000

It’s a soul-less, achingly procedural world we live in. If only there were a way to stop it!

By: Ally

Ally — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:34:53 +0000

Ekklesia are reporting the the nurse has been reinstated:

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/8596

The press release concludes with the following comments:

The following day, Petrie said on news programme on Britain’s Channel 4, “When I asked her [the patient] the question I saw she didn’t actually look offended. Her body language was quite relaxed.”

Asked if she would do so again, Petrie replied, “Yes”.

A statement posted on the health service’s Web site for the North Somerset area, stated that although the NHS felt it right to investigate the concerns of people about the nurse, “we are keenly aware of the importance of an individual’s spiritual belief, and we recognise that Caroline felt that she was acting in the best interests of her patients.”

Saying that it is acceptable to offer spiritual support as part of care when the patient asks for it, the statement issued on 5 February noted, “But for nurses, whose principal role is giving nursing care, the initiative lies with the patient and not the nurse. Nurses like Caroline do not have to set aside their faith, but personal beliefs and practices should be secondary to the needs and beliefs of the patient and the requirements of professional practice.”

By: Ally

Ally — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:56:02 +0000

Just found this video of the nurse explaining her actions:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7864635.stm

It seems that she DID NOT pray with the patient who complained, only offered to pray with them.

By: Ally

Ally — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:49:10 +0000

Interestingly, this Sunday we’ll be looking at Jesus’ encounter with the man suffering from a skin disease in Matthew Ch8.

Jesus was going about his business, travelling along a road when he encounters a man with a skin disease – Jesus response is to heal him and instruct him to go to the priest to be declared ‘clean’.

In doing this Jesus broke the accepted religious and social rules of His day.

One of the challenges I’ll be offering is how we can respond to the needy/sick/marginalised/isolated that we meet as we go about our daily lives. Much of the time we can do very little – except offer to pray with people.

This nurse did just that and lost her job!

It raises the question of how far we go in expressing our faith.
Do we risk our jobs just to pray with someone?
Do we work within the ‘limits’ of our job and go no further? (e.g. the nurse can do ‘nursey’ things but not pray?)
What if the other person doesn’t want our prayers, do we do it anyway while they are in our presence?

If you read this before Sunday 8th, read through Matthew Ch8 and reflect on this Nurses experience..