I thoroughly enjoyed the fall 2001 Journal of Christian Nursing, particularly the excellent articles by Quiring-Emblen and O'Mathuna. My heart went out to Quiring-Emblen ("When Pills Don't Work") as she struggled to see her beloved deteriorate and yet to feel as if, due to his beliefs and experiences, her hands were tied to intervene in any other way. O'Mathuna ("What Is Homeopathy?" "Pharmacognosy: What Nurses Need to Know About Herbal Remedies," and, with Emblen, "Making Sense of Complementary and Alternative Therapies") presents the facts truthfully in an objective way, without being judgmental. Sometimes Christians write about complementary therapies with a stridency that I find offensive, even though I may agree with the content. This was totally absent in the O'Mathuna and Emblen articles. I also enjoyed Ritchie's article ("Journey into Another Realm") since it gave a personal perspective on specific forms of complementary medicine.
The other articles were less valuable to me, but I know that these personal accounts let nurses in the trenches know that they are not alone in their attempts to weave their belief in Jesus Christ into their nursing practice. Soldwisch's article, "Building Confidence in Spiritual Care," has real value for educators who wring their hands to find ways to incorporate spirituality into nursing curricula-she provides a strategy and the evaluation of that strategy.
Verna Carson
Fallston Maryland
I really enjoyed Shelly's editorial "Biblical Alternatives" in the fall 2001 JCN. She explained and explored the topic very well. I am going to share it with some non-nurse friends.
Marlene Waller
Richmond Kentucky
I would say the tone of the fall 2001 JCN was guarded-not critical, not supportive of alternative therapies. The articles gave good background and were well done. Also, I will be using Soldwisch's article "Building Confidence in Spiritual Care" in a presentation I will give at a four-state nursing conference.
Patricia Kissell
Salina, Kansas
The articles on complementary and alternative therapies in the fall 2001 issue of JCN were extremely interesting. Knowing more about that topic is essential in light of today's treatment and understanding.
Nancy Swardenski
Glasford, Illinois
I don't read any other journal cover to cover!! I want to buy some back issues so I can give my friends the experience of JCN, instead of just telling them about it. I was disappointed overall in the fall 2001 JCN because I am a staunch advocate of complementary therapies. I felt there wasn't a positive look at the alternatives but rather warnings against natural alternatives. I appreciated Quiring-Emblen's personal saga "When Pills Don't Work" and the way she likened her journey to that of Job. My favorites, as always, were the first-person stories, but I was also excited about Salladay's "Tristam Engelhardt's Christian Bioethics."
Chary Horton
Ponder, Texas
Parish Nursing Revisited
Please accept my gratitude for the summer 2001 JCN on parish nursing. It has infused some badly-needed joy into my practice as a parish nurse. I am pleased to see the Journal of Christian Nursing providing leadership in spreading the word about parish nursing and the increasingly well-articulated dimensions of our developing practice. I have been given permission to use Vandenbrink's "Spiritual Assessment" as a resource in the University of Colorado Basic Parish Nurse Prep Course, an approved IPNRC/HMA course.
After a long nursing career, I began a parish nurse program in my Lutheran church, which grew into a regional support group of nurses practicing as parish nurses in northern Colorado. Recently, a friend and I received a grant to begin a Spiritual Health Partnership between a hospital and four area churches, in which the hospital system provides resources and accessibility to churches, as we assist them to begin their health ministries/parish nurse programs. This is a labor of love and a dream come true for me and for others in the partnership.
Each issue of JCN, but especially the ones on parish nursing, helps me to move to the center of my nursing and reminds me that in whatever position I have held in nursing, faith and belief in God has sustained and nourished the work I have been given to do. I feel blessed to have found parish nursing, where it is possible to affirm that the reason and the reward of the relationship between client and nurse is that we are children of God, sharing our gifts given by God, to the glory of God. JCN lets me know that other nurses are experiencing this in ways that inspire me and others. Keep up your wonderful journal. We need the suste-nance of knowing that many laborers are in this rich field. I'm grateful.
Judy Barker Lovaas
Fort Collins, Colorado
I was especially blessed and challenged reading about Maggie Spielman's work in the summer 2001 JCN in "Parish Nursing Jesus People Style." And the photo of her with the children made a great cover too!!
Edna Fordyce
Laurel Maryland
Keeping in Touch with God
I really liked Schlintz's article "Conversations with God" in the summer 2001 issue of JCN. It is important for us to keep in touch with God, and I think a journal is a good way to do that and see how God answers prayer. I recently started a Bible study with coworkers. We are using the guide "Character of a Caring Person" (editor's note: This is available from Nurses Christian Fellowship.), and it's really good!! Some topics I'd like to see covered in JCN are: how to be a good example for Christ when faced with conflict at work or in dealing with difficult people; also, how to encourage others at work through prayer and Bible study.
Renee Ellebrecht
St. Louis, Missouri