“A nurse is a highly trained and skilled professional who cares for the sick and infirm. A nurse helps to educate patients in issues of healthy living and wellness as well as any current or chronic disease process and treatment. Wellness includes physical,mental, emotional and spiritual welbeing. if this definition is anything to go by..then caroline has done nothing wrong...she has not infringed on anyone's right ..to me, she has demonstrated initiative in going the extra mile in ensuring her patient get help. Don't know why people like caroline shouldn't be celebrated ,instead we chose to celebrate drug addicts in the entertainment world.”

“This is gone all to far and I dont understand the big deal. We have to remember we are in england and people need to appreciate our beliefs etcas well as others (as long as its not pushed on them) otherwise go, dont try to change a country, which I cant help but think is happening ie xmas events being cancelled etc. This woman never said a prayer without permission she never through her beliefs at a person she just offered a kind word and excepted the answer. I am english and DONOT kick up a fuss when I see religous faiths handing out there flyers or turning up at my door or when I see muslims etc doing there parades etc down the street, so if this is aloud why on earth r we kicking up such a fuss about 1 question.

Reread and noticed I wrote a few things round the wrong way lol.

Im not writing what I did to be racist but how on earth is ANY religion supposed to get new members etc unless they ask certain things. At the end of the day as long as people donot force things on people and except the word no then whats the problem.”

“This is gone all to far and I dont understand the big deal. We have to remeber we are in england and people need to appreciate or beliefs etc(as long as its not pushed on them) otherwise go dont try to change a country. This woman never said a prayer without permission she never throw her beliefs at a person she just offered a kind word and excepted the answer. I am english and DONOT kisk up a fuss when I see religous faiths handing out there flyers or turning up at my door or when I see muslims etc doing there perades down the street, so if this is aloud why on earth r we kicking up such a fuss about 1 question.”

“Seems to me that Shonegar is taking up a lot of time to think up and write these messages. I hope its not time that should be spent working for his/her employers. However if the employer is the NHS then thats alright. Sciving off is still a time honoured benefit for public servants in the UK.”

“I'm glad to hear the news today that this nurse has returned to work, without any form of punisment. Thank goodness for common sense and even more thanks that some of the people who post here have no influance over such things apart from their comments.”

“The thing is,

Who exactly are these mysterious individuals who write the NHS Equality and Diversity policy? It seems to be a rather ¿strategic¿ position to be in.

The job description goes ¿legislate for what public servants should and shouldn¿t say around ¿clients¿, with the added power to interfere in the career of anyone not falling in line with your policy¿. Then there¿s probably some stuff about serving the public and not offending anyone.

Something isn¿t right.

This whole praying fiasco hasn¿t been some landslide victory in the name of the public good, has it? It¿s not as though some happy medium has been forged out. There are over 130 comments for this post, all sorts of different viewpoints and here we all are still discussing it days later! There are a significant number of people who disagree with Caroline being suspended, and therefore disagree with the policy makers. I think that sounds pretty far from harmonious. I¿m sure it would have sorted itself out had the press not got involved, but it remains that the press did get involved because this sort of story has a distinct political overtone! I¿m glad there¿s been such a fuss! Perhaps at this point I should state for the record that I happen to think it was wrong of Caroline to ignore the warnings of her employer. Doh!

The problem is that the policy makers have a political role, with no mandate whatsoever.

What they do have is an ¿all fit one size¿ improvised book of rules. It¿s there to protect you they say. It¿s also there to protect them from you (they don¿t say that so often). You can¿t blame them really. They simply can¿t afford to deal with the hundreds of variables that ¿well I don¿t mind nurses asking me if they can pray for me¿ would throw up. The system of free healthcare isn¿t designed to be flexible and understanding and adaptive.

I love the free at the point of delivery concept, I bet most people do.

Shonegar is perilously close to becoming a spokesman for NHS E&D policy. I¿m not sure how wise that is (nothing libellous intended here, don¿t worry). I¿ll be honest with you Mr Shonegar, it sounds a bit like you¿re preaching to me (love the irony)!

I feel like I¿m being held hostage by my own discord with the policy of an organisation whose wages come from my pocket. I would rather have the choice to opt out if I disagree. No offence. Healthcare tailored to the individual is surely what it¿s all about (gasps from all around). It¿s an expensive option without any rebate though. Until then I¿ll just tow the line I guess.”

“Quite frankly they give me the creeps and I wouldnt want my medical staff going down that line. Just as I would avoid a man rocking to and fro by himself on a bench in a deserted park and just the same as I wouldnt approach someone who is having a conversation with themselves in a shopping mall with an occasional insult to passers by Idont want to listen to christians doing their thing preaching on about invisible beings. If someones brain isnt wired up properly they are best avoided- just in case. It is only another cult albeit a large one.”

“Mike and Shelley

This incident took place in the patients home which was inappropriate.

In the hospital setting these needs are addressed and all patients have the option of spiritual support, however, this is provided by the chaplaincy team or one of the myriad of contacts across a wide range of spiritual groups. Even within the hospital this service is not provided by nursing staff, but people who have an appropriate spiritual profession.

The harm is that a) not only may people of a different or no religion find it offensive, but b) we have had cases where it has caused immense fear with people feeling that the only reason they would be approached to be prayed for is because they are going to die and c) the hospital and its staff has a main business of healthcare delivery, not spiritual care.

The NHS is already lambasted with monotonous regularity about wasting funds on things that the general public felt was bad use of funding, they would have a field day if nurses were spending time praying for patients instead of treating them.”

“Mike, this incident did not take place in a hospital, it took place in the patients own home.
And where do the questions stop:
Would you like me to pray for you?
Would you like me to sacrifice a goat to Bhairava?
Would you like me to cook some holy pasta?

All of these are infringements upon the patients privacy, and a nurse should not being doing this.
If a patient wants religious help, then there are priests to do this.”

“Bristol has it's own atheist and freethinker community.
Email your interest to:
Iron.Chariot
at
Hotmail.Co.Uk

Atheist, Secularists, Freethinkers, Brights, Humanists, Philosophical Materialists all welcome.

Deists who do not wish to preach, proselytise or provoke, also welcome for civilised debate.”