PCT suspends Christian nurse for offering to pray for patient

Readers' comments (70)

• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 12:34 pm

  What is the world coming to? It seems that equality works just one way and this situation strikes me as being farcical. I have to ask whether this lady would have been suspended if she had been of another religion???!!
  If her offer of prayers offended the patient in question then why could this not have been dealt with quietly and discreetly. On the surface there seems to be no need for this suspension and the PCT should be ashamed. I am quite sure they would not have taken this action over any other ethinic groups / religions. There is no equaltiy but plenty of positive discrimination and it is no wonder so many people in this country are fed up. We are seeing our values and way of life gradually being eroded away.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 1:08 pm

  I Cannot belive a PCT would act so rashly and although we do not know the true story, i find it hard to believe they would go this far with out serious fears of patient safety. looking at the story details that we do have then I agree with another response earlier. would they have done this if it was another religion in question? or is the world now so politically correct that a simple offer is no longer acceptable.
  what can i say acept lets PRAY that they come to a sensible conclusion for all involved.

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• Jessica Wilkinson | 2-Feb-2009 1:13 pm

  I think this is ridiculous, our job at the end of the days is to care for patients in a holistic way. This nurse was doing this, by offering a way that she found acceptable for both her and her patients. How could this nurse be struck off the register for caring? I have heard of nurses who have done a lot worse who never get called up for their actions. I wonder if the trust had not faced a complaint (which would not be good for statistics) would they ever have questioned her practice as a capable nurse? I doubt it!

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• ANDREW PETTEY | 2-Feb-2009 1:22 pm

  I am a christian and in my 20th year of nursing. I have often prayed for patients, colleagues, management, just about anything.
  Shall I offer my resignation?
  

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 1:50 pm

  This nurse did nothing wrong in offering to pray for patient, the patient only had to refuse. What offence has been commited? The employer, on the other hand, in suspending this nurse may have opened the floodgates for every little complaint that patients might wish to make, knowing that they will be acted on regardless of whether they are justified. I'm glad this made national news, I PRAY that the nurse is vindicated and if so that she claims compensation from her employer. Why are nurses being hounded day and night for every little discrepancy. We are humans and we have rights too!

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• Andy Knight | 2-Feb-2009 1:50 pm

  I have to say that the Trust appears to have acted in haste. Remember slow to chide, swift to bless perhaps. And remember also we are still a Christian country, as well as a multi faith society.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 2:09 pm

  Its a very sad day for England when someone has been suspended just for saying a prayer for another human being . Whats happened with our freedom of speech and do the management take into consideration the whole picture? I'm so saddened by this case!!!!!

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• Gary PORTER JONES | 2-Feb-2009 2:59 pm

  It’s inappropriate to allow religious belief to interfere with professional services; the two should be separate. Religion is such a personal, emotive issue that you're on very thin ice if you offer your religious views to someone who may not share those views and, as others who have responded to this thread have acknowledged, we live in a multi-faith society (not a Christian country as one person suggests) so there's a high chance of this happening. Aside from this there’s another reason why the nurse’s offer of prayer was inappropriate and unprofessional. Our profession has strived to ensure that nursing care stems from a sound evidence base. Prayer has been shown through a robust, large-scale clinical trial to make no difference whatsoever to patient outcomes. In other words there’s no evidence for it and it should not be considered for clinical use. So this nurse’s offer to pray was inappropriate for two reasons: it’s unprofessional and it doesn't work.
  
  Having said this, she shouldn’t have been suspended. This seems excessive. Why couldn't North Somerset PCT simply tell her not to do it again, and explain why? After all, it seems that her intentions were good even though they were inconsiderate. She's hardly a threat to the public, which is what suspension pending investigation is intended to ensure. Gary Porter-Jones

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:03 pm

  What a waste of peoples time to deliberate on this matter when there are better things to do. The patient should be greatful for seeing a nurse offer her a prayer. We as nurses are human being who deserve to be listened to and value the services we offer. What is UK turning? Staying Christian country or what?

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:13 pm

  What on earth has this world come to. What a ridiculous waste of time etc and the patient herself should be ashamed. That is of course assuming all the facts are here.

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• Adedapo Haastrup | 2-Feb-2009 3:15 pm

  I want us to remember that we are a Christian Nation with values founded on a Christian Heritage.Its saddening that the Nurses with such good intents has been indisciminately treated.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:16 pm

  I do not understand how someone who was offering the prayer could be suspended. The prayer was offered and declined and if the Nurse in question did not go ahead to pray for this lady, why is she suspended? The Nurse respected the patient 's answer not to be prayed for, SO WHAT ARE THE GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION. Suspending a nurse on these grounds is sending wrong signals to the community at large. Try listening to your staff.
  

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• Anne Gill | 2-Feb-2009 3:20 pm

  This is not ridiculous the patient made a complaint which must be investigated she, the patient obviously felt the nurse had been intrusive and it is possible this is not the first complaint. If I was sick I would find an evangelising nurse very intrusive.

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• Claudia McMonagle | 2-Feb-2009 3:34 pm

  There has to be more to this story than just a simple gesture of a prayer. If that was the case why would a complaint be made? I agree that this complaint needs to be investigated but surely if there is nothing sinister about this suspension is OTT. The fact that this has happened suggests more has happened and may well be the right decision.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:35 pm

  If I read the article correctly, it said that the nurse offered to say a prayer for the patient, she didn't force the prayer on her. I can understand that being a nurse there are certain rules and regulation that you may have to follow. However, the patient refused the prayer fair enough. Did she have to report it to her superior? It just goes to show how horrible and self-centred people can be. I wish this nurse all the best at this time.

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• Gavin Wright | 2-Feb-2009 3:43 pm

  I think the the trust are the party guilty of failing to consider equality and diversity in not allowing this nurse to exercise her free will to offer a prayer for her patient. To a lot of people, spirituality is one of their activities of daily living. How else would the nurse know if this was an aspect of her daily living if she never asked her patient for her opinions. Are we guilty of of breaching equality and diversity protocols if we ask if the person would like a cup of tea? Afterall, not everyone likes tea. How diverse can we be if we are prevented from asking a simple question which Roper Logan and Tierney amongst others acknowledge is one of the basic activities of living.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:46 pm

  Well what can you say except hasn't the world gone mad? What has this woman done except show she cares for her patient. I would point out that the leading medical organisation is the red cross.
  
  Also what planet does the 70 year old patient live on?, Where does this stop are we allowed to say we hope you get better as this shows our point of view and the patient may want to die. Are we attacking her human rights. look around the world and look at all the problems we face is this the best thing that the PCT can spend its money investigating. Why do we bother?

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 3:49 pm

  I agree with paul that we have many faiths in this country and i would be really upset if I was forced to listen to some one praying , there has to be more too this story.

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 4:05 pm

  I have to agree that suspending this lady is just ridiculous!!!! The NHS we work in today means that nurses are often too busy just to offer basic patient care, from first hand experience there are alot of nurses out there who have lost their caring attitude and really can't be bothered. Shouldn't these be the ones suspended? Not somebody who was trying to offer comfort to a patient?

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• Anonymous | 2-Feb-2009 4:15 pm

  I am absolutely appalled by this situation.There must surely there be more to it than is being reported. However if this is as simple as a nurse being suspended for simply offering to pray for a patient then this pct is a disgrace and should be in the dock themselves over such an over-reaction. I would point out that I am not a Christian, however I would not be in any way offended should anyone offer to pray for me, as I would consider it an act of kindness rather than some sinister plot to evangelise the world which is how this action is being portrayed in some quarters.

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