A Christian nurse has been suspended after offering to pray for the recovery of an elderly patient.
A Christian nurse has been suspended after offering to pray for the recovery of an elderly patient.
Caroline Petrie, 45, was accused of failing to show a commitment to equality and diversity after the incident and is now awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
The community nurse, who lives in Weston-super-Mare and carries out home visits in north Somerset, has been suspended by the primary care trust and could lose her job.
The married mother of two argues she did not force her beliefs on anyone but simply asked if the woman would like a prayer said for her, as she has done with other patients.
Speaking from her home yesterday, she said she found it difficult to believe she had been asked to stop working over the matter and only wanted to help her patients recover.
"I'm not angry, and I understand if people don't believe in the way that I do. But I am upset because I enjoy this job and it (prayer) is a valuable part of the care I give," she said.
"I became a Christian 10 years ago after my mother died. My faith got stronger and I realised God was doing amazing things in my life.
"I saw my patients suffering and as I believe in the power of prayer, I began asking them if they wanted me to pray for them. They are absolutely delighted."
She says she has seen her supplications have real effects on patients, including one Catholic woman whose urine infection cleared up days after she said a prayer.
The incident that led to Mrs Petrie's suspension occurred when she visited a woman in the village of Winscombe in December. She politely asked "Would you like me to pray for you?" after putting dressings on the patient's legs.
The woman said "No, thank you", and Mrs Petrie insists she did not press the matter. The sick woman, understood to be her 70s, is believed to have told another nurse about the incident, and Mrs Petrie was challenged by her superiors.
Mrs Petrie, who was disciplined last year for handing out a home-made prayer card to an elderly patient, faced an internal disciplinary meeting last Wednesday. She expects to learn the outcome in the next few days.
North Somerset Primary Care Trust confirmed in a statement yesterday that Mrs Petrie had been suspended "pending an investigation".
