Author: Carrie Dameron

NCFI CARES: Hands

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Hands

Guided by two strong arms they collaborate together, yet work independently. Each hand contains 4 bones for each finger and 3 bones for the thumb. Along with bones in the palm and the intrinsic bones of wrist we have 29 bones in each hand.  A mesh of tendons and muscles provide dexterity for the multiple functions of gripping, fanning, and arching. Tough for manual work, yet sensitive to interpret dots on a line for reading braille. Gentle to caress and touch, yet quick and responsive for pianists and guitarists. The ridges on the fingertips have unique signature loops and curves that create individual prints precise to each human. A hand can create a fist for fighting, hold a cup for drinking and gently cradle an infant’s head. Hands can be raised in worship, clasped in prayer and extended to one in unity and collaboration. (Psalm 134:2, 143:6).

As nurses we frequently wash our hands to prevent infections, hold patient hands for comfort and strength, and bring many hands together to share our workload. We have wiped tears, cleansed wounds, applied ointments, and assessed temperature. With the increasing complexity of computers and devices, we use our hands to program pumps, manage devices, document medical care and connect with colleagues through cell phones and computers.

Praise God for his wonderful, creatively designed hands. Thank him for the blessing to have hands that can fulfill many functions for we know of people around the world who lose hand(s) and/or the many functions of their hand(s) due to congenital, trauma, illness, or disease.  Take a moment to care for your hands…they work hard and are an important nursing tool!

NCFI Cares: S for Skill

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Using the PRAYERWORKS acrostic we have explored simple ways to enrich our practice and our profession through prayer, as well as a reminders to pray for and with our colleagues. For this devotion we use the final S to remind us to approach praying with our patients with Skill. Originally when I created the acrostic, I used the word Sensitivity, which is important. At the same time, the more I teach, share and discuss spiritual care, I believe Skill is a better term and encompasses sensitivity.

Myself and other nurses on the teaching team for The Art and Science of Spiritual Care through NCFI include the many steps of implementing prayer as part of our nursing care: a complete assessment that includes whether or not our patient’s use prayer as part of their spiritual life; a discussion/teaching on intercessory prayer; exploring the nurse’s comfort with praying various Christian prayers; and then practice praying with a peer using our simple model. As you can see these many steps require skill and sensitivity to explore prior to praying with a patient.

We can rest assured that Jesus, our High Priest intercedes for our patients and that the great Advocate assists our patients in praying (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:26). There are times when prayer is the best nursing action. When it is isn’t, we can reach out with kindness, caring, humility and grace to be the hands and heart of our Lord (Colossians 3:12).

Explore all the devotions in PRAYERWORKS

 

CARES: Reflections for Nurses

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If you enjoy reading the NCFI Cares bi-monthly devotions, then you are in for a surprise–CARES:Reflections for Nurses. Each reflection integrates the poignancy of a nurses’ devotion with reflective questions and readings in a brief one-page format. Thus, each reflectionFRONT COVER3Kindle - Copy includes devotion/discussion with suggestion reading, responsory question, and prayer.

The 52 reflections are a combination of previous devotions which have been revised and updated, along with unpublished Christian nursing topics.

Whether you want to uplift your personal faith journey, exemplify your Christ-like professional nursing, or bring the mercy of God to your patients, families, colleagues, and students, CARES: Reflections for Nurses contributes to your faith development. The reflections can also be used with a mentor/mentee relationship and/or facilitate a nurses fellowship group.

Did you notice the “sub title” Traducido al Español? CARES: Reflections for Nurses has a unique feature. It is bilingual! Meaning–it has both English and Spanish in the same book!  So share it with your colleagues, who reside in Latin America and/or have Spanish as their primary language!

Stay informed throughout the publication process by sending me an email at carrie@carriedameron.com

Printed copies will be available at the NCFI Congress in the Philippines, June 2016.

Hope to see you there.

May Update:

CARES is available NOW for order–either as a printed book or an ebook on Kindle on Amazon 

NCFI CARES: K is for Kingdom

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K is for Kingdom

Jesus’ final prayer with his disciples included all Christian’s throughout the ages. He says, “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me…” (John 17:20). These eternal words remind us that we are part of the larger body of believers. We are not just individual Christians who attend a church, belong to a denomination, nor connect through an international ministry, like NCFI. Instead all Christians throughout time are connected through Christ for the purpose of building the Kingdom. Verse 21 & 23 of John 17, says “I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.” In other words, the world looks to the unity of Christianity as a testimony of God’s purpose in sending Christ. This gives me pause for thought. For the unity of Christianity is not very cohesive. Thus, I agree with E.M. Bounds response to Jesus prayer in John 17 and wrote the following edict:

Pray for God’s people, for their unity, sanctification, and glorification. How the subject of their unity pressed upon Jesus! Today’s walls of separation, EMbounds prayeralienations, riven circles of God’s family, warring tribes of ecclesiastics—how He is torn, bleeds, and suffers anew at the sight of these divisions! Unity—that is the great burden of that remarkable high priestly prayer. “That they may be one, even as we are one.” The spiritual oneness of God’s people –that is the heritage of God’s glory to them, transmitted by Christ to the Church.”

May the Lord open our hearts to pray for unification of the Holy Spirit throughout the global Christian Church and open our hands to extend across denominations to demonstrate the redemptive work of Christ.

(EM Bounds in The Reality of Prayer, p. 305)

CARES: Reflections for Nurses

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Coming Soon

If you have enjoyed stopping by and reading NCFI Cares, then you are in for a pleasant surprise–a compilation is in the works entitled CARES: Reflections for Nurses!

I began sending out the bi-monthly NCFI Cares devotions for Nurses Christian Fellowship International (NCFI) in January, 2013. I am amazed it has been 3 years! In 2014, NCFI leadership asked me about providing a printed compilation. I was excited for the opportunity and set out on a new writing journey with a few goals in mind.

First, I wanted the compilation to be a combination of old and new content.Thus, out of the 52 reflections contained in CARES, 26 will be brand new, Christian nursing topics.

Second, I wanted something more than just devotions and not as comprehensive as a Bible study, so I penned reflections. Each reflective topic contains a devotion, selected reading(s), poignant question(s), and a prayer. Turning a simple, daily exercise into a meaningful process for faith and professional development.

Finally, I wanted each devotion to be translated into Spanish. Since the beginning of NCFI Cares, my sister in Christ and nursing, Martha from Argentina, has translated each devotion prior to sending it to Latin America nurses! Thus, CARES is bilingual.

I am excited to bring CARES: Reflections for Nurses!

Check back, as I continue to share updates!

Carrie

Christian Nursing 101: Embracing Servant Leadership

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Unlike the previous article on humility where there was a limited amount of nursing articles on the topic, there was an abundance of information about servant leadership in both nursing and Christianity. Then why write one more article?

First, leadership is part of the RN role. No matter what the education, nor the job description RN’s are leaders as defined by many state practice guidelines. Second, Christians are to be leaders, specifically servant leaders. We are to exemplify Christ with our work, home, and community life. So naturally, for the Christian nurse, we are servant leaders wherever we work and whatever our job title.

Check out the article in the Journal of Christian Nursing and let me know what you think?

http://journals.lww.com/journalofchristiannursing/pages/default.aspx

NCFI Cares: R is for Rejoice

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R is for Rejoice. The definition for rejoice is to be glad, joyful, or to celebrate. Do we celebrate the works of God in nursing? When was the last time you enjoyed the perfectly timed answer to prayer? Maybe it was that much needed staff person or piece of equipment. Have you been delighted by the basic pleasures of life? An enjoyable meal with a colleague and/or a simple gift from a student or patient. What about the rewards of patient care? Listening as an older adult shares a childhood memory, laughing with a five year old’s cute story, or celebrating with a toddler who masters a new toy or activity, are enjoyable moments in nursing.

The idea of rejoicing in prayer is to remind us to recognize all the blessed moments of our work. While at the same time, take time to celebrate with our Heavenly Father who provided them. We are also reminded that celebratory prayers don’t just occur with worship and during our designated times of prayer. We can have a heart of gladness that permeates our life and spills over into multiple moments of the day.

 

Rejoice in the Lord, always. I say it again, rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Serve the LORD with gladness! Psalm 100:2

NCFI Cares: O is for Others

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O for Others reminds us to pray for our colleagues, managers, and students regularly.  We can create a list and commit to pray for them daily or weekly. In the previous devotion, W is for Word, we discussed filling our prayers with scripture, so let’s continue with using the word with Colossians 3:12-17 (italics is the scripture):

We pray for our brothers and sisters in nursing, the elect of God, who are holy and dearly loved. We ask the Lord to clothe them with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. For those who work in units with conflict, anger or unkindness, that they would bear with one another and forgive one another, remembering, the Lord has forgiven each of us, so we must also forgive others. Lord, we ask for your help in keeping in mind love, which is the perfect bond and the peace of Christ. We pray for the word of Christ to dwell in each of them richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in their hearts. So that, whatever they do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. We give thanks you, God the Father through Christ Jesus.

As we live out our calling in nursing to care for our patients and families, let’s not forget our colleagues who have not come to know the mercy of God through Christ. As we honor God with our words and deeds and our love pours out, we pray for their eyes to see and their ears to hear the gospel of Christ (Matthew 13:10-14/Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

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NCFI Cares: W is for Word

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W is for Word reminds us to fill our prayers with scripture. Even though the Bible contains many prayers, like “Our Father” in Matthew 6 and the “Lord is my Shepherd” from Psalm 23, there are great prayers in the Epistles. Paul’s prayer to the church is Colossae found in Colossians 1:9-12 is one, as is Ephesians 1:17-20.

We can also use specific verses and teachings to fill our prayers with truth and God’s will.  Many of us are familiar with New Testament passages, so here are a few from the Old Testament. Guidance: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Faithfulness: “So realize that the Lord your God is the true God, the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

We can also use scripture to praise and worship God! “The Lord is my strength and my song he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him.” (Exodus 15:2). The richness of God’s word fills both our work and our conversations with God.

EM Bound motivates our prayer to take on a new meaning with God’s word with the following bold teaching:

Unless the living forces of prayer are supplied by God’s Word, even earnest prayer, though it may even be strong and noisy in its urgency, is, in reality, flabby, lifeless, and empty. The absence of living force in praying can be traced to the absence of a constant supply of God’s word to repair the waste and renew the life. Those who would learn to pray well must first study God’s Word, and store it in their memory and thoughts. (The Necessity of Prayer, p. 79)cf2e1-ncficares_3bloglogo

 

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