Exercise and exploration
Read the following taken from the Department of Health’s Religion or belief: a practical guide for the NHS (2009) and consider the implications of this for integrating personal belief and professional practice.
“Members of some religions, including Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, evangelical Christians and Muslims, are expected to preach and to try to convert other people. In a workplace environment this can cause many problems, as non-religious people and those from other religions or beliefs could feel harassed and intimidated by this behaviour. This is especially the case when particular views on matters such as sexual orientation, gender and single parents are aired in a workplace environment, potentially causing great offence to other workers or indeed patients or visitors who are within hearing.
To avoid misunderstandings and complaints on this issue, it should be made clear to everyone from the first day of training and/or employment, and regularly restated, that such behaviour, notwithstanding religious beliefs, could be construed as harassment under the disciplinary and grievance procedures. Where one or more people from the same religion are working in the same environment, an individual could be pressured to conform to certain religious practices, which is again a form of harassment. There may also be differences of opinion on conformity within groups, for example between orthodox and reformed branches of certain religions, which could cause tensions and make an individual feel under pressure because of his or her religious beliefs.”
Reflective questions:
- What are the implications of this extract for the organisation in which you provide nursing care?
- How can the fears spoken about be prevented?
- If you observed a colleague or patient trying to convert a patient to a particular religious belief, what action would you take?
The extract highlights the importance of self-awareness and sensitivity regarding the areas of spiritual and religious practice. Everyone working within nursing must acknowledge the boundaries that exist between personal belief and professional practice. The potential to cause offense, intimidation and harassment are evident - any form of evangelisation or proselytising (seeking to convert another person to your beliefs by whatever means or persuasion) within any nursing environment or context is prohibited.
However, this does not preclude nurses from asking patients if they require assistance in maintaining their religious beliefs or practices. Nor should it prevent nurses from assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the person’s holistic needs and providing person-centred care. Crucially, by developing awareness into the fundamental and deeply personal aspects of the individual’s life, nurses will be in a stronger position to safeguard vulnerable patients in their care and challenge inappropriate practices.
Reference: Department of Health (2009) Religion or belief: a practical guide for the NHS, London: DH.