A 45-year-old female patient has just been admitted to the emergency department with severe wounds from a motor vehicle accident that killed her husband.She is conscious and aware of her husband's death and the severity of her wounds.She needs emergency surgery and is being taken to the operating room before any friends,relatives,or clergy can come to see her.She asks you to pray with her.What is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shared prayer between a patient and nurse who share beliefs can be comforting and reassuring to the patient.There are no instances when a nurse should be forced to participate in prayer against her own religious or spiritual beliefs.It is best to allow the patient to initiate a prayer with the nurse.If the nurse is uncomfortable praying with a patient,she can politely refuse and state a preference for praying alone.Or the nurse can offer to stand silently with the patient while the patient prays.Thus,option "d" is the best response.It provides comfort and assurance to the patient.Option "a" is inappropriate because praying for her to be forgiven of her sins would be performed by a clergy,not by a nurse.Option "b" is incorrect because the nurse should have thought about this issue previously and not at the last minute,especially if she is an ER or OR nurse.Option "c" is incorrect because the nurse is not taking responsibility for her own feelings but is using hospital policy as her excuse for not praying.

A 45-Year-Old Female Patient Has Just Been Admitted to the Emergency