Salt and Light
How can I be spiritually healthy? Discover resources to help you answer this and other questions at http://ncf-jcn.org/resources/outreach-and-evangelism/ncf-evangelism-tools. NCF offers a number of free resources and tools that you can use to connect with others and assist them in their spiritual quest.
Visit NCF
Discover God @ Work, NCF Blog, Facebook, Resources, and more at http://ncf-jcn.org
Member Benefits
* NEW MEMBERS-ONLY WEB PAGES-Be sure to check out the new members-only pages at http://www.ncf-jcn.org. Learn more about your benefits and watch for new benefits in the future!
* Save $$$-NCF membership costs significantly less than other professional nursing organizations. For only $65 for nurses, $50 for retirees, and full-time students $35 (print and online JCN access) or $25 (online JCN access only) you can join, support NCF ministry, and receive JCN and more! Join today at http://www.ncf-jcn.org.
* CE benefit has changed. NCF members still receive a 30% discount on all JCN CE (in print and online) and 25% discount on all CE online at NursingCenter's CE Connection (worth over $75 on 30 contact hours)-but how you get your discount has changed. Log in to the Members-Only area at http://www.ncf-jcn.org to learn about a new and improved way to obtain your member discounts.
* JCNproblems?-NCF members who need help with their JCN print subscription or online account should contact LWW Member Services at (866) 489-0443 or mailto:[email protected] with your name and NCF membership number. Need your membership number? Look at the bottom of Charting the Way, NCF Member's Only eNewsletter, or email mailto:[email protected].
On Campus
Spirituality in Higher Education: Students' Search for Meaning and Purpose was a 7-year national study examining the role that college plays in facilitating the development of students' spiritual qualities. Professors from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) collected extensive data from 2003 to 2010 from 14,527 students attending 136 colleges and universities around the country. They discovered that 75% of students were searching for meaning and purpose, whereas 67% said it was important to them that their college "helps you develop your personal values."
The researchers concluded that spirituality is a multifaceted quality "involving an active quest for answers to life's 'big questions' (Spiritual Quest), a global worldview that transcends ethnocentrism and egocentrism (Ecumenical Worldview), a sense of caring and compassion for others (Ethic of Caring) coupled with a lifestyle that includes service to others (Charitable Involvement), and a capacity to maintain one's sense of calm and centeredness, especially in times of stress (Equanimity)" (http://spirituality.ucla.edu/findings/).
Students showed the greatest degree of growth in spiritual qualities if they were actively engaged in "inner work" through self-reflection, contemplation, or meditation; and showed substantial increases in spiritual questing when teachers encouraged them to explore questions of meaning and purpose and showed support for their spiritual development. Charitable involvement in things like community service, donating money, or helping friends also promoted development of spirituality. Interestingly, growth in equanimity enhanced grade point average (GPA), leadership, and psychological well-being.
Nurses Christian Fellowship and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship offer exactly what the Spirituality in Higher Education found that students need-spiritual support. NCF staff members and faculty advisors help students search for meaning and purpose and actively support students' spiritual development. Support NCF ministry to over 100 campuses in the United States through prayer and financial gifts. Give at https://donate.intervarsity.org/ to "NCF Student Ministry." Find a chapter and campus resources at http://ncf-jcn.org/students.
Intersections
Connecting Faith and Nursing
Indiana Wesleyan University School of Nursing, Nurses Christian Fellowship USA, and Eta Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) are pleased to announce the 4th Biennial Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing Conference to be held June 16 to 19, 2014 on the campus of IWU in Marion, Indiana. The conference is an exceptional time for Christian nurses to come together. A previous participant explains, "Something very special happens when Christian nurses get together-encouragement, excitement, inspiration, rejuvenation. A lot of 'divine encounters' pop up when you sit with another nurse who's in a similar situation or had similar experiences, or hear a speaker that says exactly what you need to hear. It's an amazing experience!"
Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing 2014 will offer something for everyone-nurse educators, students, clinicians, advanced practice nurses, and researchers. The cost is very reasonable: only $250 for registration and $250 for room and board that includes all meals and a private room with shared bathroom in modern dorms.
Watch for a Call for Abstracts for presentations and posters from JCN, NCF, and IWU in the coming months. Check http://www.indwes.edu/Nursing-Innovations/ regularly for updates. And whatever you do, don't miss Innovations 2014!
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NursingCenter'snew CE Connection at http://http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/CEConnection
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, JCN's publishing partner, recently redesigned "CE Connection"-which is the continuing education area of Lippincott's http://NursingCenter.com. The new advanced search feature enables you to quickly find the continuing education you want from 41 nursing journals covering a wide variety of clinical venues and practice specialties, including Advanced Pharmacology hours for APRNs. Nurses living in states that require CE in your area of clinical practice will love CE Connection! The site organizes CE by journal, specialty, clinical category, and topic, plus you can search for CE by terms like "dermatitis" or "hypertension" so you can easily find exactly what you're looking for.
CE Connection also saves you time! If you find an article you want to read later, put it in your "Planner" for easy retrieval. Hold tests you have "In Progress" to finish later at your convenience because answers are saved automatically after each question so you can begin where you left off. CE Connection additionally keeps all of your completed tests in your "History" folder whether you have paid for the tests or not. Pay for a test when you complete it or pay later for multiple tests at one time by adding tests to your cart from your History folder.
JCN is excited to announce that CE Connection, continuing education area of Lippincott's http://NursingCenter.com, offers continuing education on spiritual care, ethics, religion, faith community nursing, and other topics of interest to Christian nurses.
And don't forget-Nurses Christian Fellowship members save 30% on all JCN CE and 25% on all other CE at CE Connection! That's a huge savings on CE you need for relicensure!