Month: January 2016

NCFI Cares: R is for Record

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As we return to our acrostic PRAYERWORKS, we discuss R for Record. Many years ago, I started keeping a prayer journal. The small notebook is more akin to a prayer list. I write out a date with a simple phrase sentence. For example: 1/15 Karen—diagnosed with breast cancer. This brief statement, reminds me to pray for my friend on a regular basis. As time goes by, I would add 2/15 successful surgery/starting chemo/radiation to update the event. The best part is when I am able to cross out the prayer: 1/15 Karen—diagnosed with breast cancer 2/15 successful surgery/starting chemo/radiation and write PTL (Praise the Lord) through the prayer! Since I use the book for multiple years I can go back and see a prayer and then many times see an answer or resolution. Many are basic concerns that range from personal concerns, a time I had surgery and professional prayers for colleagues and projects.

Recording our prayers doesn’t have to be complicated, nor time consuming. It is a great way to remember how the Lord has worked in our lives. Recording both the prayers and the praises, allows me to reflect on how the Lord works in my life. Psalms 143:5 states, “I recall the old days; I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on your accomplishment.” Seeing answered prayers, keeps me steadfast in hope for the unanswered ones.

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My prayer journal 

Nurses as Authors

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Nurses have a wealth of knowledge and experience, which we should share with one another and with the public. One way to become published is through writing nursing stories. Gerber Nursing, August 2014 – Volume 44 – Issue 8 – p 45–4 describes how to get started with publishing your nursing story.
Another great resources Nurse Author & Editor website/publication. If you click on Resources, you will see a listing for Author that provides additional “helps” with publishing. The website/publication is especially helpful for academic/scholarly publications.
One way to become familiar with publishing is to become a “reviewer” for manuscripts. Under the same tab, Resources, the Nurse Author & Editor website has information for Reviewers on reviewing manuscripts.
Stay tuned, I will continue to add resources and tidbits to Get Published!

NCFI Cares: Our Global Prayer for 2016

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Even though this prayer is a little late and comes from the United States, Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, has summoned us prayer for 2016. Her prayer guides us in lifting up our self, our churches, our nations and one another unto the Lord.

The one-hour prayer is not only for January, but feel free to print it out and commit to praying throughout the year.

Preprayer 2016 by Anne Graham Lotz

 

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Humility: A noun, an adjective and a verb?

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As I looked at discussing humility as topic for Christian Nursing 101, I had to start from zero. I knew very little about humility personally and professionally and hadn’t heard the church discuss humility. In fact, it was hard to find articles and books discussing what humility is and what it is not. The problem is we may have heard a sermon, here and there, but no great in-depth discourse  nor Bible study on how to be humble. Especially when compared to topics on leadership, love, caring, courage, and others which fill the bookstores and sermon lists.

There was also very little on humility for nursing. I did run across the word used with cultural—which I loved! I was researching content for a nursing course on International Nursing, as well as content for the article “What is Caring with Dignity?” (JCN, October/December, 2015) when I I stumbled upon the term “cultural humility.”

From these deficits in our Christian faith and in nursing, as well is in my own personal/professional life, I decided a XLargeThumb.00005217-201601000-00000.CVdiscussion on humility was needed.

Check out the article in this issue of JCN
and then spend some time tin prayer and self-reflection in how to bring humility to both your personal life and your nursing practice.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Humility, like faith is a growth process and we will spend our earthly lives gleaning attributes from our Savior. Just take note where you would like to improve and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct you accordingly.