THE ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC NURSES

 THE ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC NURSES ONLINE SURVEY

This survey is to find out what Catholic nurses want professionally from a Catholic Church organization for  Catholic nurses. If you are a Catholic nurse (UK or other) or a non Catholic Nurse or just a Catholic with an interest or involvement in Catholic healthcare with suggestions to make and have a few minutes please fill in the form below and click the submit button on the bottom of the page for the form to be forwarded to the Association of Catholic Nurses through our email address.

The questions marked with an asterisk* need to be completed for you to submit the form -although we would prefer the whole form to be completed all other questions are optional so if you do not have time to complete the whole form just answer the questions you think are most important or are of most interest to us as an Association.All names and personal details will remain confidential.

PREVIOUS SURVEY RESULTS

The survey started November  2006  produced  36 online replies at the end of 15 months including  3 from USA and one from Malaysia ,one from Japan and two from Africa .The other responses were from nurses living and working in Scotland,Wales and England. Around 90%  were regular Mass attenders and the remaining 10%  sometimes attended Mass . 50% of replies expressed concerns that the NHS still did not recognize the needs of or discriminated against Catholic nurses despite the recent introduction of single equality guidelines on  patient care and employment within the NHS .  Most complaints were around refusal within the NHS to engage with chaplaincy services because of NHS data protection This was felt to impact on patient care and the position of those trying to deliver spiritual care within nursing.  Growing support for euthanasia matched by increased  acceptance of non medical intervention raised concerns by those working with end of life care particularly because it was matched to reduced access to end of life chaplaincy care provision .  Other complaints were about increasing  NHS lack of recognition or support for   Catholic or other pro-life teaching particularly on abortion within  sexual health policy   or for pro-life services to be  advertised  as an option within sexual health service provision  .   Harassment ,  blocking of  professional development and underpinning of   practising Catholics and  others with pro-life beliefs but performing duties according to Dept of Health guidelines  under actively pro-abortion   professionals ,sometimes a Catholic or lapsed Catholic much  less qualified or experienced  ,  was  allowed and practised in some areas  justified by a need to 'protect' existing policies on abortion in spite of Dept of Health guidance against such discriminatory practices . In one area one  non Association member had resigned her post after many years of working in the NHS because  new advertising initiatives to promote  easier access to abortion  excluded advertising of pro-life options and had created a work  environment that  made it   impossible for people of any pro-life belief from any faith or non faith background to continue to work there. Problems were regional . Around 20%  respondents replied that they did feel  their needs and beliefs as Catholic Nurses were fully recognized and respected within their own NHS working environment.The rest were don't know replies.  Repondents from  non UK countries comprised around 50% of those who answered don't know to this question.Most felt that the way Catholic Nurses were treated had significant influence on how Catholic patients were treated within healthcare delivery particularly where chaplaincy services were felt to be needed but not provided or made easily accessible to NHS patients in hospital. Most UK nurse respondents were  members of a professional organization such as  the Royal College of Nursing. The few Association of Catholic Nurses members who replied were also all members of other professional organizations such as the Royal College of Nursing but looked to the Association to provide more advice and support on spirituality within nursing -both spiritual needs of nurses and patients as NHS service users. 33% of total replies felt the Church recognized the needs of and acted well to support Catholic nurses, 33% felt a present lack of sufficient understanding and support from the Church and 33% were unsure or had mixed feelings about levels of understanding and support from the Church .Many who replied commented that they  welcomed the website's online information about Catholic perspectives on spirituality and ethics of care within nursing and also the links to other relevant Catholic sites provided on the website.