Nurse suspended for offering to pray for patient's recovery

Ramrod · 01-02-2009, 07:59

Some of you probably know that I consider religions to be little more than fairy tales but this is ridiculous:link

Quote:

Caroline Petrie, a committed Christian, has been accused by her employers of failing to demonstrate a "personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity".

She faces disciplinary action and could lose her job over the incident.

Poor woman......

Dai · 01-02-2009, 08:05

'equality and diversity'

my heart sinks when I hear this twaddle these days. Leave your brains at the door when you enter this world.

I wonder if the outcome would have been the same if she had been non-Christian?

01-02-2009, 08:23

Oh well someone in the careing community suspended for caring to much. Oh well maybe she will know better next time and just do her job and not care enough about patients to offer. This really is a cold shallow a wicked world we live in

Russ · 01-02-2009, 08:46

I don't know who's worse, the trust or the patient.

Raistlin · 01-02-2009, 08:56

You'd think she mght have learnt the first time 'round:

Quote:

Mrs Petrie had previously been reprimanded for an incident in Clevedon last October when she offered to give a small, home-made prayer card to an elderly, male patient, who had happily accepted it.

The sensible, non reactionist, thoughtful people, with common sense, and a little understanding of what it actually takes to be a decent human being, will realise that she wasn't trying to 'force her religion' upon anybody and that all she was doing was showing a personal concern for all aspects of the well being of her patients.

However.....

She was previously told that (for whatever reason) this wasn't acceptable, but she did it again.

---------- Post added at 08:56 ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 ----------

For the benefit of anybody failing to understand that last post, who may be about to try to put words in my mouth - I don't have a problem with her offering to pray for her patients, but she was told previously that she shouldn't and received a previous warning for it.

Russ · 01-02-2009, 09:14

Perhaps she assumed common sense would subsequently be applied?

nomadking · 01-02-2009, 09:15

If their actions were totally wrong for a second "offence", then surely they were totally wrong for giving a warning after the first "offence".

So are people going to be sacked for saying such things as "Happy Christmas", "bless you"(after someone has sneezed), "thank god for that", "touch wood" and so on?

Raistlin · 01-02-2009, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B

Perhaps she assumed common sense would subsequently be applied?

Why should she assume that?

Common sense wasn't applied the first time someone complained and she received a warning. She was told at that time that if she did something similar again she would be the subject of disciplinary action.

Surely that should have been warning enough that she was working in an occupation where, or for an employer for whom, the preception of a 'professional' care service is more important than the carer's own personal need to go the extra mile.

---------- Post added at 09:20 ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking

If their actions were totally wrong for a second "offence", then surely they were totally wrong for giving a warning after the first "offence".

That's the way disciplinary procedures normally work though - you get a warning the first time, followed by action taken against you the second time.

bmxbandit · 01-02-2009, 09:25

You'd think that after a few minutes conversation with a patient, you'd be able to gauge if such a comment would be appropriate... and then err on the side of caution. Regardless of your religios views, placebos have been shown to have powerful effects, so if a patient thinks it will help then why not? So long as they don't think it'll perform miracles...

Russ · 01-02-2009, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob M

Why should she assume that?

Common sense wasn't applied the first time someone complained and she received a warning. She was told at that time that if she did something similar again she would be the subject of disciplinary action.

Surely that should have been warning enough that she was working in an occupation where, or for an employer for whom, the preception of a 'professional' care service is more important than the carer's own personal need to go the extra mile.

She should assume that because getting disciplined for offering to pray for someone is not common sense - it's a PC overreaction. The nurse was clearly demonstrating care - if the recipient does not have the same beliefs then no problem but the nurse clearly believes praying will aid the patient. No harm will come to anyone from her praying. Total overreaction and the trust ought to take a major U-turn over this.

Raistlin · 01-02-2009, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmxbandit

You'd think that after a few minutes conversation with a patient, you'd be able to gauge if such a comment would be appropriate... and then err on the side of caution. Regardless of your religios views, placebos have been shown to have powerful effects, so if a patient thinks it will help then why not? So long as they don't think it'll perform miracles...

I don't think the patient complained, it sounds like they just called in because they weren't sure and the trust decided that it wasn't appropriate.

---------- Post added at 09:28 ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B

She should assume that because getting disciplined for offering to pray for someone is not common sense - it's a PC overreaction. The nurse was clearly demonstrating care - if the recipient does not have the same beliefs then no problem but the nurse clearly believes praying will aid the patient. No harm will come to anyone from her praying. Total overreaction and the trust ought to take a major U-turn over this.

Agree that it's an over reaction on the part of the Trust.

Agree that it's plainly barking mad.

However, she was told that she would be discisplined if she did it again, se did it again, she got disciplined. She should have know it was bound to happen.

01-02-2009, 09:31

I think society wants us all to be robots. The way things are going any independant thought is going to have to be kept to ourselves in case someone takes offence and complains. In this instance for example a care worker may well lose her job because she cares to much. Who will take her place? possibly someone who does not give a toss.

Raistlin · 01-02-2009, 09:33

You're probably spot on zing.

A relative has been in hospital recently for fairly major surgery, the standard of care she received was disgusting and totally below what I'd expect any decent human being to find acceptable.

That just seems to be the way the world is going at the moment

Russ · 01-02-2009, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob M

However, she was told that she would be discisplined if she did it again, se did it again, she got disciplined. She should have know it was bound to happen.

Do you really think this is the only time she'd have done it since the first time she was reported?

Raistlin · 01-02-2009, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B

Do you really think this is the only time she'd have done it since the first time she was reported?

No, but this is the only time that someone's called the Trust about it.

It's the age old thing Russ: break the rules if you must, but understand that if you get caught you'll pay the price. She knew what she was doing was against the rules set by her employers, she knew the consequences of her actions, she knew what would happen if someone caught her. Yet she did it any way.

I'm not saying the Trust are right, and that the nurse is wrong. Regardless of who we work for, what we do, or what our beliefs are, there are rules and terms/conditions that come with any employment. If you disagree with the rules you can either follow them to the letter anyway and everything's fine, find a new job where you don't disagree with the rules and everything's fine, or continue to break the rules for as long as you can get away with it and hope that everything's going to be fine.

If you choose the last option and get caught then you should be prepared for whatever action is taken against you.

I don't agree with all the rules where I work. I follow the majority of them to the later, and subtley bend those that I need to in order to get the job done - I know though that if I bend a rule and get caught (or if I bend a rule and something goes wrong) I'm going to have to face the penalties. That's the way life is.