JCN

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

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.

NCFI Cares: Hope in Thankfulness

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Like love and faith our hope grows and blossoms (1 Corinthians 13:13). One of the ways we can nurture hope in our lives is through thankfulness.  Identifying the simplest things in our lives and thanking our Father God for them fosters hope, even when we are buried beneath the trials of life. This is also true for our patients struggling with illnesses and diseases.  When we struggle to find something to be thankful for, we can pause and thank the Creator for our existence and the necessities of air and water for life. No matter what our situation or our patient’s circumstances there is always something to be thankful for.

An excellent passage for thankfulness is Psalm 136. Famous for its repetitive refrain “his steadfast love endures forever” or “his loving kindness endures forever,” the psalm states “Give thanks to the Lord for…he is good…God of gods…does great wonders, etc. The psalm continues with a history lesson of the Israelite s relationship with God. This is our Lord, who has and continues to write a historical narrative in our lives.  We discover the sustained hope when we remember how the Lord has worked in our past (Lam 3:21).

 

Take time this week and read Psalm 136 and “Give thanks to the Lord for __________________ filling in the blank with how the Lord has demonstrated his “steadfast love” in recently in your life.

p.s. Want to discover how to encourage hope for your patients?  Check out three articles from the Journal of Christian Nursing. Importance of Hope; When Hope is Lost Part 1 & Part 2.  

USA JCN subscriptions

International JCN online Order–click here! only $37 USD

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Journal of Christian Nursing

 

JCN available Internationally!

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One of the first things that came to my heart when I 

became involved with NCFI in 2010 was the hunger for professional Christian resources from international nurses. When I came home from my first trip to Manila, I began praying and talking with Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, the editor of Journal of Christian Nursing. As time went by and Kathy shared all the “complications” of international journals, costs, currency rates, NCF-USA staff needs, etc, etc, the needs seemed endless. We trudged forward and added the specifics to our prayers and continued to elicit more prayer warriors: Jane Hall (NCF USA president), Barbara, Tove, Amy, and many unnamed saints in OUR passionate petition to bring this wonderful journal to YOU!  

 

Well the Lord has seen fit to answer our prayers for the Journal of Christian Nursing is available ONLINE–INTERNATIONALLY!


“Journal of Christian Nursing” (JCN) is a peer-reviewed, quarterly, professional journal helping nurses integrate issues of faith with nursing practice and sustain excellence in nursing care since 1984. Our mission is to help nurses, students, and educators practice from a biblically-based, Christian perspective. JCN offers relevant peer-reviewed clinical and professional information, including original research, on: current issues and trends, spirituality and spiritual care, ethics, values, healing and wholeness, faith community nursing, healthcare missions, nursing education, personal growth and self-care, health care for the poor and disenfranchised, and nursing care experiences which promote excellence and encourage nurses. 

 

JCN International Online subscription 

  • ONLINE ONLY
  • $37 a year
  • through paypal or credit card
  • may take 6 WEEKS to gain access (a NCF USA staff person inputs the information, etc)

We thank our Lord for his blessings, the endurance of his people and extend a blessing to you–knowing you will be equipped for his good works! “Ephesians 4:12” 

Blessings,

Carrie

p.s. One of the great options for the JCN is the ability to provide a “GIFT” subscription. If the Lord has abundantly provided for you or your fellowship, group, bible study, etc. pray how you may purchase one or more gift subscriptions for our brothers and sisters who would greatly benefit from your generous heart (like loaves and fishes!) 

Fostering Future Nurses

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First, I will go on the record to say…I am late with this blog entry. My life has gotten away from me and I am trying to get back on track. 

As a a Christian professional you may have asked, “What is the difference between mentoring and discipleship?” Mentoring is tailored for professional development from a more experienced colleague. Discipleship, like mentoring, uses the process of experience guiding the less experienced (Paul & Timothy in the NT is a great example. But, the focuses is on the spiritual maturation of the individual. Many Christians may have or have had a mature Christian guide them in the early years of faith. The article Fostering Future Nurses in Journal of Christian Nursing discusses how Christian nurses can merge discipleship with mentoring for a caring, committed relationship to guide future professionals in cultivating a Christian nurse. 
As an experienced nurse, I have had great mentors guide me as a professional nurse. My first mentor was a nurse I worked with in the hospital who really cultivated my critical thinking. When I left the hospital to teach, I told her it was because of her guidance that developed my clinical judgment and led to my move to academics. My next mentor was an excellent professor who was first my teacher then a colleague. She really gave me a solid foundation for teaching/learning, curriculum, and academic leadership.
How about you? Share your great nursing mentors…I look forward to hearing from you!
Carrie 

Presence in Nursing

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JCN coverAs Christian nurses we can experience the Presence of the Holy Spirit. This is more than just attentively listening and communicating with a patient as with “being present.” This is being used by God to connect with patients.  The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is a wonderful blessing and part of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is also how we can connect with others as part of God’s work in their lives and our own.

One such special time was with a difficult patient. I was struggling to feel like my work as a med/surg nurse really mattered and that I was being used by God. One day a call light came on for a patient that I was not assigned to, but new very well. He was considered a “frequent flyer” because of his chronic disease and difficult behavior. I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to answer his call light, which I did. That moment began a long relationship of seeing this patient beyond my med/surg nurse eyes and heart. I knew the Holy Spirit was intervening for this man, because my eyes and heart were opened in a way that I could not of otherwise seen. Actually, one of my indicators now, that the Holy Spirit is working in my heart, is when I notice, see or feel things that are beyond me or outside my normal feelings.

I would enjoy hearing your stories of how you experience the Holy Spirit in your work.

Read the article: Presence in this month’s JCN. There I give a great example of the difference between “being present” and the Holy Spirit’s presence in nursing. There is also a snap-shot of the Bible’s teaching on the unique person of the Trinity, called the Holy Spirit.

Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing–June 18-21, 2012

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Innovations in Faith Based Nursing Conference at Indiana Wesleyan Conference
June 18-21, 2012

This conference looks like it is going to be a great place to hear from wonderful Christian Nursing Experts!

http://www.indwes.edu/Nursing-Innovations/


Hope to see you there!

Scrubs of Excellence

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As the author of “Scrubs for Excellence,” I am the first to confess my short-comings with kindness, gentleness, and patience. And, even though I know the Lord has led me to be a nursing instructor, I struggle with contentment. Scripture reminds us the perfectness of Jesus Christ and the love and grace he provides for all of us as we grow in his likeness. This Easter weekend, I am reminded not to be too hard on my self; and like Peter who denied our Lord three times, to accept the reconciliation of love he provides and move on in grace (John 21:15-17)
Blessings for He has Risen!
Carrie

Influence Your Practice: Pray!

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    Prayer is such an important part of our personal and our professional life! We know that, yet all of us struggle to pray more. We do so many things to assist us in our prayer life: memorize scripture, listen to sermons, attend bible studies, read books, join prayer ministries… YET, we still lack a life and a nursing practice pulsating with prayer.  Let’s
follow the sports logo of Nike:

For help, read the article and choose one of the suggestions: to pray for yourself, your workplace, colleagues, and/or patient to implement prayer into your nursing practice.

Journal of Christian Nursing “Christian Nursing 101”

Our Calling, Loving God in Nursing Part I.

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    In the article, we explored loving God with all heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind  (Luke 10:27). All our heart is found when we make God that center of not only our personal lives, but our professional lives, as well. All our soul, can be found when all our decisons are in an obedient response to God’s leading in nursing. Loving God with our mind, is really back-to-basics of submitting all our thought patterns to the Lord, as well as bathing our education and practice in truth. Finally, loving God with all of our strength, is when we give all our talents, gifts, etc to be used for the body of nursing in Christ. 
    There is much overlap, yet it is important for us to explore places we may fall short on in expressing the love of God in nursing. Which one is more challenging for you as a Christian nurse? 
    For me personally, my challenge is being obedient to God in where he is taking me. I am type A, planner, etc type and I always want to come up with the plan and then ask God to bless it. I have been working on letting God come up with the plan and me following. 
    Share with me, your struggle so that we can all grow in faith and love.

Journal of Christian Nursing–online