An unidentified Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom allegedly faced dismissal from her hospital’s management after being discovered praying for an elderly patient.
The disclosure came from Harvey Olufunmilayo, who identifies as an online doctor, through his Twitter handle @drolufunmilayo, on Thursday.
While this information hasn’t been verified at the time of this report, the doctor shared the incident as a cautionary tale for Nigerian doctors relocating to the UK, advising against offering prayers for patients.
According to the doctor, the Nigerian healthcare worker was reportedly deported. This action was purportedly taken due to what was deemed as an ethical breach, indicating that introducing religious practices into healthcare was not acceptable in the UK.
The tweet further highlighted that while it isn’t customary for nurses to engage in praying for patients, they could facilitate religious services through a cleric, irrespective of the patient’s preference for such assistance.
He wrote, “I just read the sad story of a Nigerian who came to the UK and was employed by an agency to work as a caregiver for elderly people. She was assigned to care for an elderly patient who was dying, and she was reported for ‘praying for the client to get better’. Yeah. She got sacked and deported.
“Praying for your patient is seen as an abuse of trust and misuse of your position. You are expected to simply do and focus on your job.”
