Benefits and Challenges of Nurses Working in Secular Facilities
Nurses who attend a faith-based nursing program become accustomed to a high standard of moral conduct and behaviors from the school, instructors and possibly the clinical rotation sites. However, while healthcare systems who are not associated with a religious sector still have written codes of conduct, the day-to-day interactions with co-workers, physicians and ancillary support may appear tremendously different than the nurse has experienced in their school environment.
Nurses of faith can continue to practice with the same moral code as in nursing school in any secular environment. Connecting with patients and colleagues of all stages of belief as a competent and confident nurse will build relationships that will enhance the work environment. Staying true to one's religious doctrine does not need to be compromised in the nonspiritual world and can be incorporated with grace and tact.
RELATED: Working as an RN
Choosing to work only for the medical systems offered by one's church or religious affiliation is one way to avoid some of the challenges in this arena. However, the nurse may be missing opportunities for professional growth by not expanding into other non-religious healthcare systems. For example, many of the top-leading medical systems, such as Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland Clinic are not affiliated with any faith-based beliefs. No matter what the surroundings, nurses from faith-based school have proven to be highly professional nurses with excellent clinical skills.
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Upon completing an ADN from Pacific Union College, Catherine worked in various bedside roles until her career evolved into nursing leadership for a large HMO in Northern California. She then completed a BSN at the University of Phoenix and a Masters in Organizational Leadership at Colorado State University.
In addition to her freelance writing, Catherine is the founder and CEO of Burger Legal Nurse Consulting, is an advanced board-certified nurse executive, and is the CNO & Media Response Specialist for RegisteredNursing.org.
Situated in the beautiful Idaho mountains, Catherine loves traveling and spending time with her husband and their five children.