Nurse suspended for 'offering to pray for patient'
A nurse from Weston-super-Mare has been reprimanded for offering to pray for an elderly patient.
Caroline Petrie, a committed Christian, has been accused by her employers at Weston General Hospital of failing to demonstrate a "personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity".
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Caroline Petrie
She faces disciplinary action and could lose her job over the incident.
Mrs Petrie, a married mother of two, says she was left shocked and upset by the action taken against her.
Mrs Petrie, 45, is a community nurse employed by North Somerset Primary Care Trust to carry out home visits to sick and elderly patients.
The incident which led to her suspension took place at the home of a woman patient in Winscombe, North Somerset.
Mrs Petrie said: "It was around lunchtime and I had spent about 20 to 25 minutes with her. I had applied dressings to her legs and shortly before I left I said to her: 'Would you like me to pray for you?'.
"She said 'No, thank you.' And I said: 'OK.' I only offered to pray for her because I was concerned about her welfare and wanted her to get better."
However, it is reported that after the incident on December 15, she was contacted by the trust and asked to explain her actions.
The woman patient, who is believed to be in her late 70s, is understood to have complained to the trust.
Mrs Petrie will not disclose the woman's name or reveal the precise nature of her ailment because it would breach patient confidentiality.
Mrs Petrie, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, said she was initially confronted the next day by a nursing sister who said the patient had been taken aback by her question about prayer.
She has been previously been reprimanded for an incident in Clevedon last October when she offered to give a small, home-made prayer card to an elderly, male patient, who had happily accepted it.
She faced an internal disciplinary meeting last Wednesday and expects to learn the outcome this week.
A spokesman for North Somerset Primary Care Trust said: "Caroline Petrie has been suspended pending an investigation into the matter.
"She is a bank nurse and she has been told we will not be using her in this capacity until the outcome of our investigation is known.
"We always take any concerns raised by our patients most seriously and conscientiously investigate any matter of this nature brought to our attention.
"We are always keen to be respectful of our patients' views and sensitivity as well as those of our staff."
41 Comments
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by Steven, North Bristol
Thursday, February 05 2009, 3:45PM
“Barry, I challenge you (like Katrina, who has ignored it) to provide details of the double-blind, peer reviewed studies which lead you to the claims you make about prayer.”
by Barry, Nailsea, Bristol
Thursday, February 05 2009, 11:37AM
“Over many years, studies & researches have consistently shown that people who pray regularly are, generally speaking, healthier, happier and more contented than those who don't. So how can offering a prayer for a sick patient NOT have anything to do with health?? And doesn't "equality & diversity" also apply to this nurse?? This is PC gone mad yet again and another example of the stealthy de-Christianising of our Country by this Government..
Barry M”
by Steven, North Bristol
Tuesday, February 03 2009, 12:34PM
“Katrina. Can you provide evidence of the double-blind, peer-reveiwed results of the tests to back up your claim that a pharmacists prayers (and not medical treatment) has healed people in your mother's chemist shop?
No? I thought not. Your claim is at best based on nothing more hearsay and at worst a downright lie.”
by non faith based healer, Bristol
Tuesday, February 03 2009, 9:33AM
“Katrina, I think you miss the point. Faith is non rational, there is no evidence, I cant find 'him' because there really is nothing there. In your mind there may be, but you are deluded. I'm sure you dont believe in all the gods of time? I've just gone one further and dont believe in yours either!Sure I could have been indoctrinated as a child into one of the many different faiths that there are in the world, thankfully I was given the opportunity to way up the evidence and make a rational decision for myself. For you it is probably too late.”
by Katrina, oxford
Monday, February 02 2009, 10:07PM
“it is absolutly pathetic that a nurse who offers to pray for a patient might loose her job over it. i dont even understand how anyone could get offended by it?!?! I hope ( yes and pray) that Caroline will be able to keep her job and continue her good work.
as it happens my mum owns a pharmacy and she offers to pray for some of her customers and belive it or not noone has been upset by it or offended also she has lots of people that come back for more prayer, people have been healed and lots more amazing things have happend.Most people just dont understand the importance of prayer.
to non faith based healer
if you would acutally go out and seek god you would find evidence of his existence and
god gives us the choice to live according to his rules or to choose not to.he also makes it clear what will happen to those who choose not to.its all written down in the bible. if you actually read the bible and look at historical events and what is happening right now you would be able o see that it all adds up. people choose just not to belive because its easier not too.”