Thanks for sharing your thoughts
I am particularly interested in what medical professionals who are Christians have to say on this matter, simply because they know the healthcare profession pretty well on a day to day basis and what these jobs are like. You sound like a very sincere and caring person in regards to your nursing profession, and from what you've said, I don't think the way you have shared your faith has not been abused or forced. Good for you on making some time to talk to your patients, as I know nurses myself I have heard far too well how overstretched the NHS is, and the very limited time you nurses have! Sometimes, you feel it's a stretch just to just treat them medically with their symptoms, so good for you
I'd feel lucky to have you as my nurse as well.
I like what Celtic said to (forgotton to quote her) on how healthcare is about "treating the whole person, not just the symptoms", I might have paraphrased what she said somewhat there, but think that's what she was saying. I agree with that, and that is a popular belief nowadays. As advanced and as intelligent as many wonderful healthcare staff are out there, I don't believe western medicine has all the answers and fixes to every illness out there (they're only human after all!
) and I have heard of other people getting better with alternative treatments, but if treating a sick person is about the "whole person" and not just treating or masking immediate symptoms, then I wonder why some people would shy away from the spiritual aspect?
Granted, I do think "sharing your faith" in the healthcare setting can be abused, and people can go about it in a very wrong way, and I do think personally, there should still be some level of accountability with healthcare staff and a patients right to complain, but I'm sceptical that it's always wrong to share your faith, particularly in the examples you gave. But I don't know, I tend to look at the whole big picture, and if some people were given free access to just talk about God all the time, without doing anything to treat the patient (like the diabetes example I gave earlier
) it's the beginning of a very slippery slope, and lack of decency and professionalism in my view. I still think doctors need to treat people in ways they have been medically trained to in re to various different medical conditions, and be doctors and not just see a ward as some "conversion market" and I think if a patient expresses they do not wish to discuss their faith and are not comfortable in doing so, then I absolutely believe that should be respected. I do think someone who still pushes it after then should face disciplinary action and are guilty of harrassment. I will add though, that I don't think you personally have come across in a negative way.
I'm not sure staff should be banned from sharing their faith, but I think it needs to be monitored on how "far" they take it. Some people I think just lack the people skills to know how to relate to others with their faith, and they just end up doing more damage I think. I think you could apply that to anyone, but I think it could be a lot more damaging in a medical setting - patients are just in a more vulnerable place emotionally usually. I don't think this issue i so black and white really, of "yes they can share their faith" and "no they can't," and feel like such responses are rather overly simplistic and not well thought out. It's a complex topic.
I'm sorry the thread has taken the direction it has though with personal attacks
It would have been better if this had been less heated, but never mind.
Oh, and sorry I ended up writing an essay
I'm not usually very good at quick, black and white answers when it comes to a lot of contentious issues.