FAITH INTEGRATION IN NURSING

Good leadership is a virtue that must be exercised in all forms of the profession. Specifically, nurses should depict leaders that are well aware of the kind of service they are required to offer their patients. In the bible, Luke describes leaders as people meant to serve others. In addition, he continues to elaborate that the greatest of all individuals are those that humble themselves and act as if they are the youngest (Murphy & Walker, 2013). Nurses who care for their patients exercise Christ-like leadership by being humble, serving others wholeheartedly, and most importantly showing love and devotion for their patients. Even though Jesus was the master of all masters and the most powerful leader in the world, he was able to show and demonstrate love and devotion to his followers. Christ healed the sick, washed his disciples’ feet, and cast out demons not for glory but for the love he possessed for his people. In the same way, nurses are supposed to demonstrate Christ-like leadership and service to the people by exercising devotion, commitment, and love for their patients.

            Since nurses are regarded as leaders in patient care, it is vital to describe some of the Christ-like leadership skills that should be exercised by nurse leaders who care for the welfare of their patients. For instance, a good nurse should serve the emotional, spiritual, physical, and social purposes of a specific patient. In doing so, they are able to ascertain that the well-being and welfare of their patient are well-catered for (Murphy & Walker, 2013). Apart from that, Christian nurses are required to exercise their faith without undermining individuals that believe in a different faith. However, it is acceptable for them to put their patients in their prayers despite their faith. After all, God is the overall healer, and it is only fair for the nurse to put God first. Additionally, nurses can employ their Christian faith in line with their professionalism to heal people emotionally, physically, and spiritually in times of despair. At times, some patients and fellow colleagues might need assurance that everything will be alright. Sharing the word of God and giving encouragement is a form of Christ-like leadership that a good nurse can exercise.

            Besides being a leader, a commendable nurse should demonstrate Christ-like service to the patient. Such services may include engaging in activities that other people think, see, or feel is difficult to do. For instance, the bible describes Christ as a leader so powerful but humble enough to wash his disciples’ feet. In real life, only very few or no instances at all will one particular individual wash another’s feet for the love of God. However, Christian nurses are required to serve their patients wholeheartedly without holding back, and only then will they be able to provide efficient services. For example, nurses must be ready to provide dressing changes, turn the positioning of their patients, offer presence, give spiritual guidance, and listen actively (McCormick, 2014). By doing this, nurses are able to express their love to the patients making them feel important. In Luke 5:17, Jesus is described as a healer who not only healed the lame man physically but also spiritually. In that regard, Christian nurses are bound by their faith to lead a Christ-like life. In other words, nurses should care for their patients in a similar manner that Jesus would.

            Although the concept of Christ-like leadership and Christ-like service are seemingly opposite, they support each other from a Biblical worldview. For example, leadership and service seen in this concept sum up to a world of servant leadership where leaders in the society humble themselves with humility and integrity to serve their peers. As mentioned in the bible, Christ-like leadership incorporates a scenario where the greatest of leaders act as the youngest in service to the people (Grahn, 2011). In nursing, nurses are viewed as leaders who should guild their patients and facilitate the healing process. Apart from that, Christian nurses are required to engage in the service of the people and the community in general. Just like in the biblical worldview where Christ is seen doing more service to the people, nurses are expected to conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner and provide servant leadership to their patients.

            Although the path is not always straight and easy, I have incorporated Christ-like leadership and service in a number of ways this semester. Particularly, I engaged in offering emotional guidance to a patient who felt abandoned in the hospital by family members. I made the patient understand that the nurses cared a lot more for her welfare than she could ever imagine. By the time she left the hospital, I could tell by the expression on her face that she felt contented and loved. I made sure that I gave her a portion of my time where I would listen to her and contribute to the kind of talks she liked. I would also prevent her from having unproductive conversations that did not contribute to the healing process. Sometimes I could volunteer to dress and turn her whenever she was in pain.

References

Grahn, T. (2011). Jesus: The Role Model for Christian Leadership - One Another Ministries. Retrieved from http://christian-leadership.org/jesus-the-role-model-for-christian-leaders/

McCormick, T. (2014). Spirituality and Medicine: Ethical Topic in Medicine. Retrieved from https://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/spirit.html

Murphy, L. S., & Walker, M. S. (2013). Spirit-guided care: Christian nursing for the whole person. Journal of Christian Nursing, 30(3), 144-152.