2021 Resources
Every year, National Nurses Week provides natural opportunities to honor the work of nurses as we remember the birthday of Florence Nightingale and her influence on our profession. Nurses Christian Fellowship is privileged to support Christian nurses, faculty, and nursing students who are a source of inspiration and encouragement for their peers, coworkers, patients, residents, students, and communities they serve. Whether you’re working in the hospital or clinic, teaching or studying online, hosting a virtual Bible study or prayer time, consider how the Lord wants to express His love and grace to the people around you.
The American Nurses Association and the World Health Organization are extending the Year of the Nurse with a month long theme of “Nurses Make a Difference.” NCF will be providing special Bible studies for each week of the celebration. Don’t forget to join us on May 11th for our special celebration of nurses as we gather to discuss: Nurses Make a Difference: Taking Time to Remember, Reflect, and Renew. You’ll find registration information below. And please check out the resources from 2020! You’ll find Bible studies, articles, blog posts, prayers, and quotes from Florence Nightingale to encourage your faith and your practice.
Self-Care: Week One - May 1st-7th
Self Care: Making a Difference Bible Study
Recognition: Week Two - May 8th-14th
Recognizing Our Need to Lament Bible Study
Professional Development: Week Three - May 15th-21st
Stewarding Your Career Bible Study
Community Engagement: Week Four - May 22nd-29th
The Healing Found in Listening and Being Heard Bible Study
2020 Resources
2020 marked a special celebration for nurses: The Year of the Nurse/International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife! NCF celebrated nurses during the entire month of May as we provided free resources and special promotions based on the 4 themes provided by The American Nurses Association (ANA):
Self-Care: Week One - May 1st-9th
Recognition: Week Two - May 10th-16th
Professional Development: Week Three - May 17th-23rd
Community Engagement: Week Four - May 24th-31st
Self-Care
Self-care is important to the life of a nurse. We must take care of ourselves if we are to care for others, allowing the Lord to fill us with the Holy Spirit. Especially during difficult times, like COVID-19, self-care is crucial to our health. We have compiled some Bible Studies, NCF blog posts, and JCN articles on Self-Care. Click here to download the Self-Care Resources.
We have also created a four-part video series on Self-Care. Click the links below to view the videos on each of the following topics:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Quiet Time
- Prayer
Recognition
Nursing is both a demanding and rewarding profession. It is recognized by many as a calling rather than a chosen career or vocation, and certainly more than just a job. As Christian nurses, we can rejoice because God has recognized us as his beloved children more than any work that we can do on our own. Click here to download the Recognition Resources.
Professional Development
As nurses, there is always an opportunity to learn. Whether we're learning more about our area of practice, our patients, or our care, as Christian nurses, we are also called to dig deep into our faith. Take some time this week to reflect on your professional and spiritual development and how those paths have crossed. Where has God met you in your practice, challenged you, encouraged you? Click here to download the Professional Development Resources.
Speaking of Professional Development, NursingCenter has many Nurses Month Resources to share. They are also offering 50% off any one CE activity through May 31st! Click here for more information.
Community Engagement
As nurses, we are blessed with a unique skill set that enables us to help those around us. And with the love of the Lord in our hearts, we are empowered and encouraged to serve the communities we are a part of. We have the ability to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we sacrifice our time and talent to meet the needs of and provide healing to others. Click here to download the Community Engagement Resources.
Bible Studies
Self-Care During COVID-19
Recognizing Our Calling and Identity in Christ
Professional Development - Let Your Light Shine
Community Engagement: It's About Relationships!
Click here to access Bible studies that have been written in honor of past celebrations of National Nurses Week.
Florence Nightingale Quotes
To celebrate Florence Nightingale's 200th Birthday, we have created artistically formatted, printable quotes for you to enjoy and share with others. Simply right click on the image to download the .jpg file.
We will add a new quote during each of the 4 weeks of May as we celebrate nurses. Please return to this page throughout the month for the whole collection!
Nurses Week Prayer Guide
Offer to Pray
You can serve and encourage nurses who work with you by asking if they have special needs to bring before the Lord during a prayer gathering for Nurses Week. You may want to develop a creative form for the prayer needs, or just place a shoebox labeled "Prayer Requests" and slips of paper in the chapel or another accessible place. Here are some other ideas:
- Focus on praying for your place of work in a hospital, clinic, etc. Pray that they will be places where people will know God's presence and can find his hope and healing.
- Pray also that Christian nurses in these places will express God's love to others through their actions and their words.
- Pray that students in local schools of nursing will come to know Jesus as Lord and will discover what it means to follow him in nursing.
Guide the Prayer Time
Whether you lead from the front, or provide a written guide, help participants to move along in the prayer time. Let them know when to begin and end. Honor advertised schedules, so participants will feel comfortable leaving at the appointed time.
Conversational Prayer
Prayer with others can take the form of a conversation, simply directing your group discussion toward God. In this informal style of praying, a participant speaks about only one topic at a time, allowing others to add other dimensions to the request. Prayers are short and topics change naturally, as in a conversation with friends. One person can be asked to begin the conversation, and another appointed to conclude at the set time.
Prayer Partners
This is a more personal, and often less intimidating, style of prayer. Ask participants to choose one other person with whom they feel comfortable praying. Prayer can be guided, either through a written list of suggestions or a leader can suggest topics or requests from the front of the room.
A Concert of Prayer
"Concerts" of prayer take various forms.
- Everyone prays aloud at the same time, "in concert" with each other. Some may choose to actually sing their prayers.
- Divide up into pairs or small groups praying simultaneously with other groups for the same concerns.
- Post prayer requests at various places in a room and ask participants to move from one station to the next, praying for these special needs, either aloud or silently.
A Prayer for Nurses
Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory and show forth your handiwork in the heavens and in the earth. Deliver us in our nursing practice from the service of self alone, that we may do the work you give us to do in truth and beauty and for the common good; for the sake of him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979)
A Litany for Nursing
Recite this responsive prayer with all responding, "Hear our prayer."
Heavenly Father, you gave your Son to live among us, suffer and die for us that by His wounds, we might be healed. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick and cared for the poor when you lived upon earth. Help us to love those in our care as you love them. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Counselor, it is only by your power and direction that we can comfort others. Fill us anew today. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we commit to you our nation's health care system. Use us as your instruments to make it compassionate, just, and fair. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who lead our nursing organizations. Give them wisdom, courage, and integrity. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We also pray for those who teach nursing, that they would be encouraged and refreshed. Bring more faithful, competent teachers to instruct the next generation of nurses. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Uphold the administrators of our health care institutions and facilities. Make them wise and just, faithful, and kind. Strengthen them to stand for goodness and truth, and support them when they are weak. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for our colleagues, that you would encourage, strengthen, and uphold them in their daily work. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we bring our own petitions before you.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Formal Prayers
Many nurses will feel more comfortable praying formal, written prayers. Several examples are given below. You can also find excellent examples in prayer and service books developed by liturgical churches, or the following books:
Prayer in Nursing: The Spirituality of Compassionate Caregiving, by Mary Elizabeth O'Brien (Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett, 2002)
Moments of Grace: Hymns, Worship Services and Meditations for Caring and Healing Ministries, prepared by David Christian with John Eckrich and Arden Mead (Fenton, MO: Creative Communications for the Parish, 2002).
Prayers for Help and Healing, by William Barclay (New York: Harper and Row, 1995)
Spiritual Care Articles from JCN
Nurses' Perspectives on Spiritual Caregiving: Tending to the Sacred
Student Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care
Ready to Care? Student Nurse Perceptions of Spiritual Care Education
Spiritual Care at the Bedside: Are We Practicing What We Preach?
