Faith and Work

[DwayneEMTP]

I've read posts here and articles online about these conflicts arising. The problem that I tend to have with those conflicts is that regardless of the place, they've called for emergency assistance and nearly everyone has some idea of what form that assistance comes in.

I've been irritated by the idea that I should show up and be expected to conform to religious ceremonies that aren't mine. I will be as courteous as I can, but if you tell me that pastor Bubba is unresponsive and not breathing then I'm going into your church, as is my moral and ethical responsibility now that I've been called, and you will have to ask God's forgiveness on my behalf later.

I've only been called to a place of religious worship maybe a half dozen times, but each case was critical...in fact I think about 5 were active MIs or arrests and one was an active seizure. You might believe that refusing to commit time to a religious primer disrespectful to your religion, but I believe your opinion to be disrespectful to human life and suffering and in this situation, if it can't be resolved in the next 15 seconds, I'm going to win and you'll have to take up the issue with your God and my supervisors. I won't purposely allow your brother or sister to suffer to avoid hurting your feelings.

I've been called to provide emergency care, not to prove my respect for your Deity. If your God or your religious community is offended my my desire to mitigate suffering over religious conformity then perhaps it's time to revisit the spirit of your religion.

I have a huge amount of respect for your desire to become educated to the religious desires of the community that you serve, but if conforming to those desires retards your ability to provide prompt, safe, care then I sincerely believe that you need to reevaluate the spirit of the job that you've chosen, which, in my opinion, is patient advocacy.

[DFIB]

@ Dwayne I wholeheartedly agree. If they called for EMS then they have to conform to EMS guidelines for the Emergency Care and Transport of Patients.

I still venture to think that the OP is concerned of his/her own standing with the Hinus more that what they might think of providers with different belief systems.

I think that in this particular case it is more of a personal situation than a general EMS question.

I really wish the OP would come back and comment. I have no experience with Hidues (sp?) and am interested in hearing an insiders perspective.

[island emt]

What would you do if called to provide service to a patient at a nudist camp?

[281mustang]

I have no problem conforming to patient's personal beliefs at times even if they're different from my own, but I'm not going to drop everything and take off my shoes on my way to a critical call just because it's part of someone's religious beliefs.

If it comes down to respecting religious practices or patient well-being, I will choose the latter everytime.

[fire911medic]

What would you do if called to provide service to a patient at a nudist camp?

Been there, done that, and talk about AWKWARD ! Hey, at least you don't have to worry about exposing the injured area !

[DFIB]

What would you do if called to provide service to a patient at a nudist camp?

Make all males "STAND BACK" please.

[Just Plain Ruff]

You better not do that. The chance of getting poked in the back is to great.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[nypamedic43]

oh my gosh the visual is overwhelming *giggle*

[Richard B the EMT]

I've responded to many calls in churches and synagogues, also responded to both Muslim and Hindu private residences. Usually, I note the lack of shoes in the homes after attending to the patient.

On the observation, I'd usually comment to a household member that, due to the needs of the patient, I felt the time to remove the boots (no zippers in the model boots FDNY EMS then used) could be better used in patient care, and that I didn't intend to offend by not taking them off. Nobody has ever complained.

On a different take at religion and EMS/FD/Rescue, the story is told that 2 friends, a Jew and a non Jew, taking a walk on a Sabbath afternoon, came on an abandoned building, from which the cries of a child, stuck inside, could be heard. The Jewish man, who was younger and more agile, sent the non Jewish friend to get additional help, and entered the building, and assisted the child as best he could, until additional rescuers arrived. The child was saved.

Someone complained to the town's chief Rabbi, that the man had violated the Sabbath by rescuing the child, and the man had to appear at a religious "hearing". The Rabbi, after hearing testimony that, if not for the actions of the man violating the Sabbath, the child would have died, made his ruling: One could "break" the Sabbath to save a life.