As a new associate editor for JCN, I am continually looking at our mission statement, "To help students, nurses, and educators practice from a biblically-based Christian perspective." My goal is to include material that provides encouragement, inspiration, and resources to provoke nurses to think about how they can integrate a Christian worldview into their workplace and give glory to God in every part of their lives.
Christianity should permeate every part of our day and our life. One can't leave faith in God at the door after church, nor can it be left behind when you enter a secular place of employment. Nursing is an ideal profession to incorporate and demonstrate God's love to those around us. Whether it is providing encouragement to our co-workers or to a suffering patient, we can easily share God's love with others.
But it's not always easy to be a Christian and have a positive attitude in a volatile social climate. Any type of working environment can become suffocating, discouraging, or toxic. Jesus did not say that being a Christian would be easy. Instead he said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, NIV). What are ways we can bring Christ into our nursing work?
When I transitioned from clinical nursing to nursing education at a Christian university, I began to ponder how I could share spiritual nursing care with my students. As nurses, we are taught to provide holistic care to our patients, but many of us were never taught how to provide spiritual care. As I began my doctoral program, seasoned nurses continually asked me, "What is spiritual nursing care?" This introspection was the beginning of a journey to develop teaching tools for nursing faculty to help students learn to provide spiritual nursing care (see Spiritual Nursing Care Education: An Integrated Strategy for Teaching Students, p. 170). I hope nurse educators utilize this material as a stepping-stone to develop additional resources to assist in teaching students how to address spiritual needs.
Not a nurse educator? You too can help equip the future generation of nurses in learning to provide spiritual care by offering your support. Practicing and retired nurses can call a local nursing school and offer to pray for or mentor a struggling student. Offer to take snacks during finals week. Offer to start or host a student Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) meeting. Visit a local healthcare facility and volunteer to pray with patients and staff. As Christian nurses, we have an obligation to teach new nurses how to provide for the spiritual needs of patients. Often, this is best learned observing seasoned, compassionate nurses providing for the needs of their patients. Invite students to your workplace, volunteer to be a mentor or a preceptor, call a local nursing school, and offer to have students complete an observation experience with you.
I challenge you to become actively involved in supporting other nurses. Join a local NCF chapter. Don't have one in your local area? Start one! NCF chapters provide opportunities for Christian nurses to connect for encouragement and support. "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20, NIV).
JCN strives to provide relevant material to encourage you in your journey. We recognize the struggles of nursing. Is being a Christian nurse easy? No. Does it take extra time? Yes. Is it worth the extra effort? Yes! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9, NIV). Every workplace environment, even Christian-based organizations, can be challenging. Having a support system is invaluable. JCN and NCF will continue to provide resources you can utilize for personal growth and for various work settings. I hope you will consider joining with us, becoming and staying a member, to provide encouragement and inspiration from a Christian worldview.
Find information about NCF student and nurse groups and how to become a member of NCF, at http://ncf-jcn.org/.-DMW