Health

Nurse suspended over prayer

by Paul Conneally | February 3, 2009 at 12:59 pm

169 views | 16 Recommendations | 3 comments

Caroline Petrie is by all accounts a good nurse, she also believes in god and this has led to her suspension from work after she asked an elderly patient if she'd like her to pray for her.

This has raised the possibility that thousands more nurses and doctors across the UK could be suspended from work for offering to pray for a patient if they'd like them to do so.

Some atheist groups have welcomed the suspension with the National Secular Society stating that it was quite right for medical practitioners "not to be permitted to offer religious services to patients"

The 45-year-old community nurse got into trouble after she visited an elderly patient at home in Winscombe, north Somerset, last December and asked if she wanted her to pray for her.

Although the 79-year-old woman was not offended, she was "taken aback" by the suggestion and told another nurse about the incident.

Mrs Petrie, from Weston-super-Mare, was subsequently suspended without pay on December 17 last year by the North Somerset Primary Care Trust and is still waiting to find out her fate.

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Paul Conneally

at 23:14 on February 3rd, 2009

Anyone offering up any well-wish words of warmth be they a believer in any god or not to any other human of whatever creed wanting nothing in return is most likely doing more good than harm.

Uwe Paschen

at 23:27 on February 3rd, 2009

I think it is blown out of proportion and their is no harm in offering a prayer. Goodness I was offered such prayer after a serious accident some 15 years ago and I just said "If you believe it would help so be it, I just rather not have to listen to it." I think if any one wants to pray for some one, may they be Jewish, Christian, Moslem, Buddhist, Pagan or what else their is, I have no problem with it as long as they do not try to force a conversion or their faith on me. She should be reinstated and the patient should stop complaining. We may give way to much rum to all sorts of complains causing intolerance rather then tolerance.

kirsty (not verified)

at 07:42 on February 4th, 2009

Actually, if we are supposed to be moving towards "holistic" healthcare, and are expected to ask questions about the support patients have at home, it is perfectly reasonable to enquire whether someone has a faith/belief system that is helping them through their illness. To offer prayer is merely accepting that the patient is a whole person, who may have spiritual needs, and addressing it, rather than ignoring it and leaving the patient as "just another leg ulcer"