What is it like being a Christian PT?

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Hello,

To start off, I am not trying to stir any feathers with this questions. I am a Christian and my faith is really important to me. I wanted to reach out to other Christian PT's in this community and see if they have any advice/wisdom to impart. I have been reading this book called "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller and I have been thinking about what it means to work as a Christian.

My question: What is it like being a Christian PT?
  • How do you integrate your faith into your work?
  • How do you balance church, work, and family?
  • Do you talk about your faith with coworkers or patients?
  • Anything else that is important
Thanks
 
😵 You generally just don't talk about religion at work. And you might give patients or coworkers a "God Bless" or say you'll be praying for them, but that's about it.

As to balance, you're a PT. That's about as balanced as life can get, at least in my neck of the woods. You aren't exactly clocking 80 hours with overnights and call.
 
I second mad jack...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not talk faith (or politics) to coworkers and patients. Although I have to admit, after having all of my rotations in the South, there are definitely a lot of patients that are open to it, but you have to be very careful because not everyone may agree with your views. All it takes is for one person (who may just overhear a conversation and get offended) to create an unpleasant situation. Overall, its just best not to do it.
 
I did a rotation at a small private practice. The owners were Catholic. Before meetings they would open in prayer and sometimes they invited a chaplain to speak for a few minutes. I don't think it affected nonbelievers.

But physical therapy, like any profession, should be secular. It's best to not bring up religion, politics, sex, or sports during your treatment.
 
I think talking about sports as a general activity would be ok since most sports involve the MSK system. OTOH, being a rabid/chauvinistic sports fan wouldn't be professional.
 
I think it's important to engage with your patients/coworkers; getting to know them, as well as them getting to know you. With regard to politics, religion, etc, though, I believe there is a fine line you have to walk. I never initiate conversations on these topics with patients, but if they do, I do my best to convey impartiality no matter what my personal beliefs are. It doesn't mean you should have to hide who you are, but I believe there is a fine distinction between advertising your faith vs living it.

Personally, I like to talk food with my patients. It usually increases the chance of lots of baked goods during holidays too. 🙂
 
jblil said:
I think talking about sports as a general activity would be ok since most sports involve the MSK system. OTOH, being a rabid/chauvinistic sports fan wouldn't be professional.
Click to expand...
There's no such thing as non-rabid sports fans in the Northeast. You're either on Boston's side or New York's, and and any difference of opinion MEANS WAR!

Really though, sports is fine.
 
nuptstudent2017 said:
My question: What is it like being a Christian PT?
  • How do you integrate your faith into your work?
Click to expand...



  • I have been wondering how people of faith (of any religion) balance science and evidence based practice with belief. They are essentially polar opposites and it is interesting to me how people may subscribe to both.
 
I would imagine it's the same as being Christian and any other religion. I don't think it's generally accepted/common in business to talk at length about religion. Maybe if it's a patient that you've seen for a long time and they bring it up. I don't think incorporating faith into your professional career will manifest in some way other than generally trying to be a good/positive person.
 
jjjDPT said:
I have been wondering how people of faith (of any religion) balance science and evidence based practice with belief. They are essentially polar opposites and it is interesting to me how people may subscribe to both.
Click to expand...

You are making a very broad and uniformed blanket statement by saying that "any religion" and any science are "essentially polar opposites". Certain elements of certain religions are incompatible with certain tenants of certain scientific theories. The main reason why people incorrectly assume or believe that scientific discovery and religious belief are mutually exclusive is because they don't know what the theories of science actually are, they don't know what their religion or others' religions actually teach, or some combination of the two.

And I think we can all agree that the notion that a person cannot subscribe to evidence-based practice in physical therapy and also be a practitioner of a particular religion is a bit ridiculous.

As for the OP's question, I don't think you should plan on remaining utterly silent about your religion while at work for the rest of your life, but I also don't think you should plan on proselytizing at work or incorporating your religion directly into you patients' plans of care regularly either.
 
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nuptstudent2017 said:
Hello,

To start off, I am not trying to stir any feathers with this questions. I am a Christian and my faith is really important to me. I wanted to reach out to other Christian PT's in this community and see if they have any advice/wisdom to impart. I have been reading this book called "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller and I have been thinking about what it means to work as a Christian.

My question: What is it like being a Christian PT?
  • How do you integrate your faith into your work?
  • How do you balance church, work, and family?
  • Do you talk about your faith with coworkers or patients?
  • Anything else that is important
Thanks
Click to expand...
If you are Christian, you are a Christian in everything that you do; coworkers and patients will know this without you telling them, patients will know that you are of a higher faith by the way you treat them and interact with them. I think that you as a Christian is in a wonderful field to let God's work through you be done in the open. By you treating your patients and working for the overall good of their wellbeing is incorporating your faith in your work. As a Christian, you can pray for your patients, obviously not in the open, but definitely in secret and have faith that your prayers are heard and manifest openly. I also think that as a Christian PT, it's ok to talk to your coworkers and patients only if they are comfortable with you talking to them about it and if your employer permits it. All and all you are a Christian and nothing that you do in life can take away from who you are whether it's permitted or not and your balance of work, church and family should not be affected.
 
calnat03 said:
patients will know that you are of a higher faith by the way you treat them and interact with them.
Click to expand...

So for those of us who arent Christian / dont practice any religion, will we be mistaken as Christians simply by displaying empathy, caring for our patients and treating them with respect?
This thread in an excellent example of why religious talk should stay out of the clinic lol
 
PTMattI said:
So for those of us who arent Christian / dont practice any religion, will we be mistaken as Christians simply by displaying empathy, caring for our patients and treating them with respect?
This thread in an excellent example of why religious talk should stay out of the clinic lol
Click to expand...
Well for those of you who are not Christian, I specifically said """"of a higher faith""""" I have nothing against other religions, but in this particular forum I am specifically talking about Christians, that is what the post asked for and I was just telling my views as to being a Christian. Also being in the USA, most people will ask you if you are a Christian or what church you go to, just to see what religion you are if they see characteristics of a "higher faith", no offence to any other religions, just with my own experience. So with that being said, if a patient or co-worker is comfortable with you talking about your faith and if your employer permit it, it's fine to talk about it. 🙂
 
I think it's fine if the patient brings it up but it's probably not a good idea to initiate that conversation unless you have a good feeling that they will be receptive to it.
And please don't pray for people who don't want you to pray for them. That drives me up the wall, it would make me very very uncomfortable.
 
Unless you have the emotional intelligence of a lemon- read your patients and see if it's appropriate to talk about. Don't lead with it and don't have it be the first or only thing you talk about.

Biggest thing- don't assume anyone is a certain faith just because you practice a religion that a majority of people in this country do- that's a good way to get complained about and ultimately fired so they can hire someone else who doesn't make patients feel uncomfortable.

It's not about hiding who you are its just being selective on how/when you let personal information out.

And remember not everyone in this country celebrates Christmas or Easter so be careful not to assume around the holidays that people automatically celebrate the same ones as you do
 
calnat03 said:
Well for those of you who are not Christian, I specifically said """"of a higher faith""""" I have nothing against other religions, but in this particular forum I am specifically talking about Christians, that is what the post asked for and I was just telling my views as to being a Christian. Also being in the USA, most people will ask you if you are a Christian or what church you go to, just to see what religion you are if they see characteristics of a "higher faith", no offence to any other religions, just with my own experience. So with that being said, if a patient or co-worker is comfortable with you talking about your faith and if your employer permit it, it's fine to talk about it. 🙂
Click to expand...

I don't agree with this. At least not where I live. Yeah, a lot of people in the Midwest are religious, but we also like our privacy and faith is considered a private matter. Directly asking someone if they are a Christian can come off rude or like you are trying to convert. I'm sure some people think it's appropriate behavior, but not most people across the states, that just doesn't jive with what I have experienced at all.
 
I would urge some serious caution with this. Even if you think you can identify a person's religion based on clues in their dress/jewelry/comments, it's such a personal and complex matter that there is the risk of creating a distraction that undermines the goals for the day.

"Christian" can mean many things to many different people. Catholics and Protestants were killing each other fairly recently. Within Catholicism, there are lively debates that can create division between people. The role of women in the church? Discuss amongst yourselves...

And I can see young-earth creationists focused on gay marriage not really getting along well with the red-letter Christian Democrats...

And let's not forget Joseph Smith. My sister once proudly described the diversity she had at a dinner party: "There was a Catholic, a Mormon and a Christian." Why open up a door to this sort of thing?

Just like Christianity, every major religion has factions that vehemently disagree over interpretations of their faith. It's a minefield that I would rather stay out of.

The bottom line to me is this: you can talk about your faith all you want on your own time and dime, but in the clinic someone is paying you to deliver a professional service. Someone who may not agree with your point of view or may simply be distracted by the topic even if they do agree with you. If they are distracted or disagreeing, then they aren't as fully engaged in the process of physical therapy which means that you are doing them, their time, and their money a disservice.
 
touchpause13 said:
And please don't pray for people who don't want you to pray for them. That drives me up the wall, it would make me very very uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
This kind of attitude cracks me up. No offense, but if someone is agnostic or even atheist theoretically they shouldn't care if someone prays for them considering they don't believe in prayer. In their minds it should just be like talking or thinking to yourself. That said, being a Christian and a PT shouldn't be a big deal. I work in a very Christian community. Once a patient brings it up its fair game but don't initiate it or offer materials outside of PT. It's that simple.
 
PTpro said:
This kind of attitude cracks me up. No offense, but if someone is agnostic or even atheist theoretically they shouldn't care if someone prays for them considering they don't believe in prayer. In their minds it should just be like talking or thinking to yourself. That said, being a Christian and a PT shouldn't be a big deal. I work in a very Christian community. Once a patient brings it up its fair game but don't initiate it or offer materials outside of PT. It's that simple.
Click to expand...

It's still a religious activity I don't want any part in
 
sb247 said:
Being a christian PT is exactly like being any other PT with the exception that you model your behavior after Christ. You'll find very little relevance to knee flexion post surgery.
Click to expand...

:laugh: Exactly.
 
knj27 said:
Catholics and Mormons are both Christians, FYI.
Click to expand...

I believe that was the point of the anecdote: even if your patient openly talks about being 'Christian' there's still a bit of a minefield as far as if their definition lines up with yours.

OP: Though this may not be what you want to hear, it's best to keep your faith out of the workplace for many of the reasons already pointed out. I currently work with an extremely devoted Christian and while she says nothing maliciously, it is extremely uncomfortable and usually out of place when she brings up faith and religion to her coworkers and patients.
 
PTpro said:
No offense, but if someone is agnostic or even atheist theoretically they shouldn't care if someone prays for them considering they don't believe in prayer.
Click to expand...
And what if they are Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim? As an atheist myself, I would find it extremely presumptuous if someone offered to pray for me, or acted as though their religion is "higher" than other belief systems. Please. As others have said, keep it out of the workplace. And not that this is where you're coming from, OP, but please don't assume that people who don't share your religion are somehow less caring, or ethical, or mission-driven.
 
I don't mind if people ask, but if I say no, don't be a dick about it and say "well I'm going to any ways"
 
why is this even a thread lol. This is basic office etiquette that's been around for years: don't talk about religion, don't talk about politics and don't eat fish for lunch in the break room. You're their therapist, you're there to rehab them not talk about scriptures or elections. This kind of crap drives me insane. Unless you have your own private room where no one else can overhear your convo, then don't. Plain and simple
 
I observed in a SNF that was run by a religious organization, where the PTs and other rehab staff had voluntary weekly meetings where they prayed for patients who put in prayer requests. I don't think this type of thing is very common, but it's out there. The staff never talked about religion with patients or with each other while working, though (at least while I was observing there).
 
@calnat03 I agree and really appreciate your comments. I also thank everyone for your input.

I apologize and want to reiterate that my intention is not to create a schism between religious and non-religious people. I just wanted to reach out to other Christians in this community and hopefully learn from their experiences and the ways that they carry out their work as Christians. I am not looking to make Christians superior because I know I definitely suck, and I personally know many non-Christians who are much nicer and caring than I am. I am a young Christian PT student still figuring things out, and I am seeking out the wisdom and knowledge of older Christians PT's.

To expand on that: I do not know if this will make sense to non-Christians, but bear with me. My faith is really important to me. I do not see my life as 30% family 40% work 30% religion. For me, my main identity is as a Christian and Jesus Christ is 100%. Family, work, and everything else is under that 100% umbrella. The most important thing to me is that I live my life the best that I can in God's eyes and love people the way I know God has loved me - so that people can know that God loves them. I will be at the clinic as a physical therapist for 40-50% of my waking life during the week, and it does not sit well with me to live out 40-50% of my weekdays hiding my identity and what is most important to me. Of course, I am not going to shove God down people's throats, but I do not want to intentionally hide my faith from people.

This book I am reading - "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller puts it a bit better:
"So when we say that Christians work from a gospel worldview, it does not mean that they are constantly speaking about Christian teaching in their work... it is a mistake to think that the Christian worldview is operating only when we are doing such overtly Christian activities... Instead, think of the gospel as a set of glasses through which you 'look' at everything else in the world." I think Keller is saying that Christians should not automatically start debating religion with people, but their beliefs should impact the work that they do.

I guess I could have phrased the question better. I am asking Christians this question: In the bible, God gives Christians a life mission to love Him, love people, and help others see and understand that He loves them. In the potentially sensitive work environment, how does your work relate to your identity as a Christian? What does "loving people" as a Christian PT mean to you? What are your stories? If you do not feel comfortable sharing them here, I would appreciate messages too!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@nuptstudent2017, thank you and what you said is well stated and I wish you the best in school and the best as a future DPT.
 
PTpro said:
This kind of attitude cracks me up. No offense, but if someone is agnostic or even atheist theoretically they shouldn't care if someone prays for them considering they don't believe in prayer. In their minds it should just be like talking or thinking to yourself.
Click to expand...

That "attitude" is likely held by a large percentage of patients. I am a humanist/atheist and would not mind if you prayed for me as a patient on your own time, but to assume that I would be comfortable being prayed for as part of treatment is quite ignorant. This may fly in a religious organization or small town Christian USA, but not where I work.
 
If I were a patient I would prefer that my therapist would spend his extra time researching as much as he could about my conditions /ways of helping me instead of praying for me to magically get better.
As far as to the original question by the OP, I admit I am very ignorant about what it means to be a Christian...but I just dont see how you cannot satisfy whatever that is (being a Christian) if you simply treat all patients with respect, kindness, empathy, etc... Just be a good PT / person lol
 
nuptstudent2017 said:
@calnat03 I agree and really appreciate your comments. I also thank everyone for your input.

I apologize and want to reiterate that my intention is not to create a schism between religious and non-religious people. I just wanted to reach out to other Christians in this community and hopefully learn from their experiences and the ways that they carry out their work as Christians. I am not looking to make Christians superior because I know I definitely suck, and I personally know many non-Christians who are much nicer and caring than I am. I am a young Christian PT student still figuring things out, and I am seeking out the wisdom and knowledge of older Christians PT's.

To expand on that: I do not know if this will make sense to non-Christians, but bear with me. My faith is really important to me. I do not see my life as 30% family 40% work 30% religion. For me, my main identity is as a Christian and Jesus Christ is 100%. Family, work, and everything else is under that 100% umbrella. The most important thing to me is that I live my life the best that I can in God's eyes and love people the way I know God has loved me - so that people can know that God loves them. I will be at the clinic as a physical therapist for 40-50% of my waking life during the week, and it does not sit well with me to live out 40-50% of my weekdays hiding my identity and what is most important to me. Of course, I am not going to shove God down people's throats, but I do not want to intentionally hide my faith from people.

This book I am reading - "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller puts it a bit better:
"So when we say that Christians work from a gospel worldview, it does not mean that they are constantly speaking about Christian teaching in their work... it is a mistake to think that the Christian worldview is operating only when we are doing such overtly Christian activities... Instead, think of the gospel as a set of glasses through which you 'look' at everything else in the world." I think Keller is saying that Christians should not automatically start debating religion with people, but their beliefs should impact the work that they do.

I guess I could have phrased the question better. I am asking Christians this question: In the bible, God gives Christians a life mission to love Him, love people, and help others see and understand that He loves them. In the potentially sensitive work environment, how does your work relate to your identity as a Christian? What does "loving people" as a Christian PT mean to you? What are your stories? If you do not feel comfortable sharing them here, I would appreciate messages too!
Click to expand...
I say this as a christian, the best thing you can do for your patients to show love is be the best PT. Seperate from that you can also pray for them in your off time.
 
AlanWattsBlues said:
Having been raised in an evangelical/born-again environment, I can assure you that not everyone agrees on this. Somo hit the nail on the head.
Click to expand...

No doubt you are right. The reality of course is that Catholics and Mormons both believe in Jesus Christ as the savior and so are therefore Christians. Why people fail to associate the word "Christian" with the definition "one who believes in Christ" remains beyond me.

But that's a bit of an aside here...
 
I've been a PT for 23 years. I share the Gospel often! I give out Jesus films (comes in 16 languages for $1 if you call them), Christian tracts, the Book of John from the Pocket New Testament League (you can order those free--although they prefer a donation), pray with people--anyone wanting or willing. Being a PT helps people, but I'm also a follower of Jesus and that helps a lot of people too! People generally really love that, and if they don't want to talk about Jesus I don't. You don't stop being a follower of Jesus when you do therapy, so share the Gospel, you don't know if that seed you are sowing will produce a harvest of righteousness!
 
nuptstudent2017 said:
Hello,

To start off, I am not trying to stir any feathers with this questions. I am a Christian and my faith is really important to me. I wanted to reach out to other Christian PT's in this community and see if they have any advice/wisdom to impart. I have been reading this book called "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller and I have been thinking about what it means to work as a Christian.

My question: What is it like being a Christian PT?
  • How do you integrate your faith into your work?
  • How do you balance church, work, and family?
  • Do you talk about your faith with coworkers or patients?
  • Anything else that is important
Thanks
Click to expand...
Hello there! I’m not sure where you landed with figuring out what being a Christian PT looks like but I really hope this message reaches you. Two summers ago I attended a program in Redlands California called the Whole Person Care Preceptorship and it was all about learning how to ethically provide spiritual care for patients. You should check it out, it’s through The Medical Strategic Network. We shadowed physicians that are praying with patients on a regular basis. Since leaving the program I have two friends one who is a nurse and another who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Minessota, and the nurse was invited to speak to staff at the hospital about incorporating spiritual care into their practice. Also there are research articles published on Spiritual Care in our practice as well as a continuing education course offered by the APTA regarding spiritual care as well, I look forward to taking it in the future when I graduate school! I hope this message reaches you as it looks like you haven’t been logged on here in quite some time possibly.
 
EB142 said:
Hello there! I’m not sure where you landed with figuring out what being a Christian PT looks like but I really hope this message reaches you. Two summers ago I attended a program in Redlands California called the Whole Person Care Preceptorship and it was all about learning how to ethically provide spiritual care for patients. You should check it out, it’s through The Medical Strategic Network. We shadowed physicians that are praying with patients on a regular basis. Since leaving the program I have two friends one who is a nurse and another who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Minessota, and the nurse was invited to speak to staff at the hospital about incorporating spiritual care into their practice. Also there are research articles published on Spiritual Care in our practice as well as a continuing education course offered by the APTA regarding spiritual care as well, I look forward to taking it in the future when I graduate school! I hope this message reaches you as it looks like you haven’t been logged on here in quite some time possibly.
Click to expand...
nuptstudent2017 said:
Hello,

To start off, I am not trying to stir any feathers with this questions. I am a Christian and my faith is really important to me. I wanted to reach out to other Christian PT's in this community and see if they have any advice/wisdom to impart. I have been reading this book called "Every Good Endeavor" by Tim Keller and I have been thinking about what it means to work as a Christian.

My question: What is it like being a Christian PT?
  • How do you integrate your faith into your work?
  • How do you balance church, work, and family?
  • Do you talk about your faith with coworkers or patients?
  • Anything else that is important
Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Greetings,
I hope this response finds you well. This is an excellent question! I'd like to introduce you to Joni and Friends. A Christian non profit organization who's mission statement reads: To communicate the Gospel and equip Christ honoring Churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disabilities. As part of the ministry is the program, Wheels for the World, currently with 27 International Outreaches for 2019, each of team includes Christian Physical Therapists, as we share the Gospel and provide custom fit wheelchairs to those in need.
Please feel free to contact me offline @ 818.575.1727.
Jamie Stark, MPT, Sr Manager, International Outreach and Training, Wheels for the World,
 
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