Integrating Spiritual Care and Nursing Practice

Nursing is ministry!

“As nurses, God allows us to be a part of people’s lives during some of their most life-defining times,” said Renee Lick, NCF Student Ministries Director. “We have the opportunity to see how God enters into their places of pain, joy, or heartache. Then we can be a tangible reminder of his presence and help facilitate an interaction between our patients and the God who knows them, sees them, and loves them abundantly.”

Renee’s message on “Christian Nurses: Shining Lights” was eagerly received by more than 60 students, educators and nurses at a recent conference on spiritual care in Asheville, North Carolina.

Faculty from Western Carolina University gave seminars on many aspects of spiritual health, including why offering spiritual care is important to patients in the clinic and hospital setting. Break-out sessions focused on how to do a spiritual assessment and how to incorporate appropriate interventions into care that will address patients’ spiritual needs.

The highlight for many was the personal emphasis in learning how to grow spiritually. Nurses and students heard stories of how God has worked to bring people closer to God.  One faculty member shared that a student with no previous belief in God once told her, “I’m failing -- I need you to pray for me now!”

Another nurse said that one night she prayed with an anxious elderly woman who was having trouble sleeping. A few months later, the nurse came across the same woman in the emergency department. “It’s you!” the woman exclaimed. “You’re the nurse who prayed for me!” The nurse didn’t remember her, but she saw how God used her simple prayer to remind this woman that the Lord was present with her.

Students from seven colleges and universities came to the conference. The 18 students and two faculty members from UNC Charlotte talked excitedly about starting NCF ministry at their school. These students see opportunities for the gospel to spread as they live for Jesus now on campus, as well as in their nursing careers.

“It was very exciting to see so many nursing students gather together to learn how to care for their patients’ spiritual needs,” Renee said. “I reminded them that they are not alone. God is present with them and is going before them. God is equipping them for ministry in the healthcare world.”