How
do the worldviews in your own nursing environment compare with a Christian
worldview? What tensions arise from the differing world views of employers,
colleagues, patients and students in your care?
Upon
reading the call to care, I became very acutely aware of how drastically the
secular culture around me had affected my own nursing practice. I had been
taught in the beginning of my nursing career it was my duty to support the
spiritual beliefs of my patients. My own belief about God had no place in my
nursing practice. I had absorbed the values of nursing teacher, mentors, and
the health care environment (Miller & Shelly, 2006). I thought I was doing
the right thing by exhibiting tolerance for all behaviors and religions. What I
really had was indifference towards my own beliefs. I had failed to stand up
for my own Christian beliefs. I had been putting aside my own Christian
beliefs, to practice nursing in a way I had been taught by secular nursing
education. I have learned in this week’s study by setting appropriate
boundaries, I can allow my patient to practice their beliefs and still share
mine. Examples given were when a patient asks you to do something against your
beliefs; you can state that against your beliefs and get someone who can help
the patient (Miller & Shelly, 2006).
This may sound simple but, I was taught good nurses support their
patient beliefs and leave their own beliefs at home.
The
way that I choose to share my Christian beliefs is through the care I provided
to my patients. As a Christian nurse, I am obligated to treat every person as
someone who is important to God. I try to provide exceptional care and
compassion to every patient that I care for (Miller & Shelly, 2006). It is my belief that I am responsible to God
for the care I provide. People are created for a relationship with the Creator
(Miller & Shelly, 2006). The reading has made me realize that any patient I
have that does not know Jesus Christ is already dead in sin. I am a servant to
the Lord the job I do is for the glory of God’s kingdom.
One of the greatest differences I see between
secular nurses and Christian nurses is their attitude. Many of the secular
nurses I work with often express they are tired of bedside care. The reasons
are limitless, patient’s attitudes, government changes, technology, work load,
pay, staffing, and co-workers. The mature Christian nurse’s believe that their
career is more than just a job it is a ministry. Their work and attitudes
towards co-workers is often reflection of their beliefs. Many of the Christian nurse’s refuse to
engage in gossip, so they have fewer problems with co-workers. I asked one
Christian nurse why she always volunteered for C wing despite the protest of
other nurses. She stated “God often
presents opportunities as problems for us to grow as Christians”. “If I learn
to do the job that no one else wants, I will always have one”. She also
explained compensation comes from harder jobs. “I always see greater dividends,
not just financially from doing what no one else wants to do”. The Christian
nurse’s faith in a higher power provides a barrier from stress and burnout. A
positive attitude towards work is reflected in the care provided to the
patients by the Christian nurses.
I work at a hospital that was founded on the
teaching of Jesus Christ. Problems arise at times over the interpretation of
ways to share the Biblical foundations of the hospital to the public. The
hospital was founded as a Baptist hospital to serve the poor and indigent. The
Baptist hospital then merged with a local Catholic health clinic to combined
financial resources during the great depression. This merger has caused
differing world views of the Baptist and Catholics which often cause conflict
within the hospital. One recent conflict was the placing of a statue of St
Francis in a new patient garden. The
statue was considered an Idol by many of the constituents, staff, and patients.
Others believed that the statue would bring comfort and blessing to the
hospital.
The
Bible states “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
of any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth “(Exodus
5, 20:4). The Catholic nurse’s defense
was the Bible also states that “King Solomon’s temple contains statues of
cherubim and images of oxen, and lions that were used in worship” (1 Kings 6:
23-36, 7:27-39; 8:6-67). Having art is not the problem it is when people use
the object of art, as an Idol. This is demonstrated in the book of Exodus, “
God commands the making of the image of a golden cherubim, this heavenly image,
of course is not worshiped by the Israelites, Instead, the image disposes their
mind to supernatural and draws them to
God” ( Exodus 25:18-22,26:1,31). After a great deal of discussion among all
parties involved it was determined if the statue may cause anyone to sin, then
it should not be placed in the garden. A
copy of the Ten Commandments was placed in its place.
Another
example of a major conflict between the secular view of my job and my Christian
world view is the observance of the Sabbath. The Bible states “Remember the
Sabbath day and keep it holy” (Exodus, 20:88). The problem is that if you work
night shift you must work either Saturday or Sunday night. This causes a problem because; I am always
half asleep while attending church services.
When I discussed this issue with the unit manager it was stated nursing
is a ministry and even Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath. The nursing staff
has purposed a modified schedule for Sundays to make it possible for everyone
to attend one church service. At this time that is not an option. The reason
given is, the plan is not fair to the individuals who do not attend church
services. After reading call to care I have come to realize that by protecting
the rights of secular nurses that my own rights as a Christian were being
violated. I asked my unit manager if it would be possible for my Christian
co-workers to have a Bible study in the chapel on our lunch break on Sunday. In
a respectful manner,I brought up the fact the rights of the Christians were
being violated. She agreed to the Bible study on nightshift.
An
additional area were world views collide is the issue of modest dress. The
Bible states “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety”
(Timothy 2:9). When I attend hospital events I often wear a long skirt or pant
suit. I often hear comments from well-meaning co-workers that I need to dress
more like people my own age. My clothes are modern just not revealing.
Reading Called to care has made me come to the understanding, that
if I say I believe in Jesus Christ, I cannot separate him from my work. I was committing one of the greatest sins
Idolatry. I had moved God from the center of my nursing practice to the
periphery in the quest to be politically correct (Miller & Shelly,
2006). The reading opened my eyes to ways
that I could change my nursing practice. Having patient centered care does not
mean leaving my own belief system away from work. Conflict between the secular
views and my Christian views are only opportunities to present Jesus Christ to
a lost world.
References
