Serving Others Through Nursing

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2.

When queried about the role of doctors and nurses in the lives of faithful Christians, Billy Graham posited, “God works through people to get His work done in the world, including doctors and nurses.” So often, when the families of a patient put their faith in God and pray together on behalf of their loved ones, God answers their prayers through the hands and hearts of the nurses and physicians attending to that patient.

After all, it is no accident that these healthcare professionals felt compelled to enter their chosen field; God placed that desire in their hearts to serve Him and His creation. “Whatever the situation, you can always trust that God has control of your destiny,” Brie Owen, RN and blogger, writes about the fear and doubt that come along with nursing. “He will open doors, and he will close others.”

A Nurse’s Role in the Community

“Satisfaction in nursing comes when we serve each person as we would serve Christ,” writes RN Shirley Loewen for Career & Life Direction.

As auxiliaries to doctors, nurses are the backbone of every hospital or caregiving facility. It is the responsibility of the nurses to ensure the comfort, both spiritual and physical, of the patient, and to see them through some of the most trying times of their lives.

However, the spiritual implications of this calling do not end with the patient; a nurse who approaches his or her work through Christ will inspire ripples throughout the patient’s family and loved ones and is therefore a vital pillar of any community.

A Balance Between Career and Faith

As a nursing student, Priscilla Yeboah often felt pulled between attending Bible study and focusing on her nursing curriculum. “There are times when I feel that studying for a Med-Surg test would be more beneficial than going to Bible study,” she wrote for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. “The joy I’ve learned is that serving God is never really a sacrifice; it’s a blessing, and sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise.”

At Mississippi College, faith is integral to the educational process and a bedrock to the growth and progress of every student. Nurses are called by God to utilize their gifts to serve His creation to the best of their ability. The most fulfilling and meaningful education is one that strikes a balance between one’s faith and one’s chosen field of study.

Foundational Faith

Healthcare is a field in which patients must put their trust in the professionals tasked with ensuring their well-being. Nurses and doctors with an unshakable foundation of faith from which to draw strength, courage and patience can combine these qualities with their professional expertise to deliver the best possible care.

During the most challenging times of their lives, patients often look to nurses for a hand steadied by faith and a countenance warmed by Christ. The presence of faith in the lives of nurses can prove to foster the welfare of patients on the road to recovery.

Learn more about the Mississippi College online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: Answers

Brie Gowen: 5 Biblical Truths to Encourage Nurses

Career & Life Direction: On Being a Nurse

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Joy in Serving God