Tolerance is a Virtue

The topic of religion in any work place can be a topic of controversy.  But why? Simply stating that you are “religious” can have various meanings.  Some religions may take Communion in a different way or believe in a different God or leader, but all in all they provide their constituents with guidelines to help realize their own specific moral values.  In our clinical settings most of us come from different educational backgrounds or learning experiences and we see different techniques from our coworkers.  If we can take the time to learn a technique from a colleague or look it up ourselves then why can’t we take the time to understand where others beliefs are developed from.  Just because we understand other religions doesn’t mean that we have to convert or follow those guidelines, but it gives us a platform of understanding to not offend anyone or be offended ourselves. From a personal perspective, I am willing to be open about my Christianity to others.  This does not mean that I feel a need to “preach” to everyone I come in contact with.  Yes, I do not share the same beliefs with all my coworkers or patients but that does not change at all my interaction or care.  That is what makes people unique.  If we, as a society, could focus more on treating everyone with kindness and learning about our differences, many of these prejudices would not exist. 

Beyond the scope of interactions with others, it is also good clinical practice to listen to the goals, needs, and values of our patients.  In fact, this is one of the three pillars of evidence-based practice.  Faith may be a major factor in the decisions of our patients and judging those choices, either as a person of a different faith, or simply from a scientific perspective, diminishes the role of the patient’s values in our clinical practice. 

Openness is the key… to good clinical practice… to life.  

Beth Neil LAT, ATC