Spirituality In Nursing Practice: Does Religion Influence Nursing Care? By P. K

As a twenty one year old nurse in the second year of my career, I was working in the Newborn Nursery at a Catholic Hospital. One of my little patients was born with a congenital heart defect that was inoperable. He would only live a few days.

His parents were both physicians. The parents were asked by the Nuns if they wanted their baby baptized. They said no, thank you, because they were Protestants and believe that Baptism should happen when a person is old enough to make the decision for themselves.

After caring for other babies in the main nursery room, I walked into the smaller room to find two of the Nuns baptizing the baby that had the cardiac defect. I asked them why they were baptizing the baby when the parents said no. They told me that their conscience would not let them have the baby die without being baptized.

Some years later while I was working as a pediatric oncology nurse, my 12 year old patient was very pale and experiencing shortness of breath. He was severely anemic from his latest chemotherapy. He was so weak he could not walk from the waiting room to the treatment room without assistance.

The Oncologist explained to the parents that their child needed a blood transfusion. The parents said that they understood, but they could not give their consent for the transfusion because of their religious beliefs. When the physician explained that a court order could be obtained to overrule their wishes, they said that they were comfortable with the court order because it would not be them consenting to the blood transfusion.

As a home infusion nurse, one of my AIDS patients was receiving four hour infusions. I was required to monitor him during the entire infusion. During those long visits he taught me about his religion of Hare Krishna. He shared books and stories. It was important to him that as the nurse caring for him at the end of his life, I should understand his beliefs.

In contrast, once when I was leaving a home care client’s home, I greeted them with “Have a nice Easter”. The patient’s father because irritated with me and announced “We do not celebrate Easter”.

Respecting Other People’s Belief

During my 37 years as a nurse, I have had the privilege to observe many religious practices and beliefs. My work in homecare, pediatric oncology clinic, and with hospice patients has opened my eyes to the importance of religion to many people. Countless patients or their families have invited me to funerals, weddings, and baptisms which all have a religious meaning to a lot of people. I have been asked to pray with my patients. Even if the prayer or other tradition is not of a religion that I believe, I still accept this honor and pray with my patient. I believe that this is just as important as giving their medications to them.

Since religion is such an “important” part of a person’s life especially during times of illness and death, how can a nurse ignore it? I always enjoy learning about other religions and related practices.

I do not feel it is my role to share my personal religious beliefs with my patients unless they ask me. However I have to say that being so close to death’s door as my patients walk through it and leave me behind, has made me examine my own beliefs.

By Pamela Kersey