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Nurse 'exorcises' patient
05/10/2000 14:00 - (SA)
London - A Northern Irish nurse has been disciplined for attempting to perform an exorcism on the evil spirits she believed were
making her patient ill, the Times reported on Thursday. Anne Steele was found guilty on Wednesday of serious professional
misconduct by Britain's Central Council for Nursing for trying to
substitute her religious beliefs for nursing care.
The incident took place at Coleraine Hospital in Northern Ireland,
where Steele, 53, was a registered nurse.
She told "evil spirits" to leave the patient's body, and the woman,
who was suffering from fainting spells, got up to leave but fell to
the floor.
Instead of helping her up, Steele, a born-again Christian, stood
over her, saying: "I rebuke you evil spirits, get thee from her
body so she will be well."
She received a formal caution, which will stay on her record for
five years. The council said nurses were entitled to strongly-held
religious views, but could not inflict them on their patients.
Steele, who was dismissed from the hospital after the incident,
said the patient had "misinterpreted what I said to God in a
prayer".
"I was regarded as having stepped over the line by praying with the
patient, but research has shown that it is part of a nurse's role
to pray with the patient if they request it and agree to it." - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA
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