Seven hundred thousand people of the Sikh faith live in America and there are twenty-five million Sikhs worldwide. Sikhs make positive contributions in many walks of life, including nursing. While some male Sikh nurses endure disapproval in the workplace, due to their uncut beards and turbans, and Sikh nurses of both genders sometimes face discrimination because they wear steel bracelets at work (jewelry that may touch patients is generally frowned upon), Sikh nurses are strong enough to persevere and excel in health care settings. Today, it's time to look at some powerful reasons why peaceful and egalitarian Sikh nurses make positive contributions to the lives of their patients.
The Sikh faith is peaceful
In the U.S.A, the U.K. and all over the world, Sikh nurses bring a peaceful spirit to health care delivery. For example, in the UK, a group called the British Sikh Nurses advocate for patients and also educate the public about the Sikh faith. This group recently received an award at the London Faith & Community Awards 2018. Their peaceful attitude towards others is a benefit in challenging and stressful health care settings. Whether Sikh nurses are working in hospitals, traveling to new nursing assignments in other areas or doing community outreach, their religious beliefs give them the strength to remain calm, positive and peaceful with their patients.
Sikh nurses believe in equality
While Sikh nurses and other Sikh health care providers have been subjected to discrimination based on their appearances and religious beliefs, the Sikh faith is about equality. For this reason, Sikh nurses treat all patients with dignity, regardless of their race, social standing, gender or religion. Since Sikhs are taught to treat everyone the same, they are valuable assets in health care settings. They bring an egalitarian spirit to their work duties. In hospitals and clinics, nurses need to interact with so many different types of people, from the homeless to the very rich. Sikh nurses have religious beliefs which make it easy for them to be kind and caring to all types of people.
Sikh nurses believe in community service
In the Sikh faith, the act of sharing time, wealth or skill to improve other's lives is important. It's a key aspect of Sikhism. It is referred to as Vand Chhako. Sikh nurses who are committed to their faith therefore go the extra mile, by performing selfless service. While Sikh nurses do get paid for their time in health care settings, they often go above and beyond, by volunteering in their communities. Whether they feed the hungry, collect funds for worthy charities or educate communities about the value of equality and diversity, they make a positive impact on communities.
Sikhism and nursing go hand in hand
As you can see, Sikh nurses bring the right values, including peace, equality and community service, to their duties in health care facilities. Sikhism and nursing go hand in hand. While nurses of the Sikh faith do experience discrimination at times, they believe that all people are equal. For this reason, they are important and valuable health care professionals.