A few weeks ago, I experienced amazing nursing care. My 91-year-old mother had a massive stroke. After an emergency cerebral angiogram and thrombectomy, the nurses moved into action.
Mom was comatose at first (and badly bruised from a fall), then awake and quite agitated. I held her hand, stroked her hair, and tried to communicate and help her understand what was happening. To my amazement, when I left the room and came back, I found the nurses sitting with her, holding her hand, stroking her hair, and trying to calm her. They gave mom sedation, but their active presence went beyond what meds could do. This was spirit-touching-spirit care.
The nurses listened to me as it became evident that further intervention would not restore mom’s quality of life. They gave me their full attention as I processed and asked questions and cried. They let me help with mom’s physical care; they asked about her life. We talked about her faith in God and my spiritual beliefs. They helped me tell mom goodbye as death approached.
Amazing nursing happens when nurses meet patients and families relationally. Nurse ethicist Marsha Fowler describes this as “the person-of-the-nurse meets the person-of-the-patient in ways that respect, support, and affirm the patient’s dignity, individuality, humanity, [and] choices...” (Read more in Fowler’s upcoming article in the April/June JCN.)
These nurses were the hands and feet of Jesus to my mother and to me. Our prayer is that you experience Jesus in ways that empower you to be his amazing nurse. Let us know how NCF can help.
Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, PhD, RN, is the National Director of Nurses Christian Fellowship and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Christian Nursing.
Kathy’s role is all about facilitating and strengthening the resources and support nurses need and want to provide the best whole-person care nursing, including expressing Christ to patients, family members, their communities.
See all the NCF offers to nurses to grow professionally, spiritually, and personally, including the award-winning peer-reviewed Journal of Christian Nursing.
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