There are times when the leading attributes of the best nurses overlap considerably and naturally with Christian values and beliefs. This means that the largest healthcare profession in the US – nursing – attracts many men and women of that faith, who want to be of service.
As the medical profession has such strong roots in the history of Christianity, there are also many hospitals and other healthcare providers who deliver social and medical services founded on Christian beliefs and principles. This means extending aid to everyone in their population.
However, there are also occasions when people specifically seek health and social care support from organizations that reflect shared religious aims and beliefs in their daily operations.
This article explores the history and qualities of both nursing and Christianity. It will also delve into the faith-based healthcare solutions that benefit patients, plus the benefits for clinical staff.
Christian and nursing values entwined
Being caring, compassionate, and understanding of human frailty are important aspects of both Christianity and the nursing profession.
Devotion to healing
Many Christian Saints had healing roles, and the early Church played an important role in ministering to the ill and vulnerable. It is readily apparent how strongly this faith associates itself not just with after-death, but also the quality of life.
Christians believe that everyone can do their part in making life better for individuals who cross their path and for the almost 5.2 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide this is something they also practically and empathetically enforce in their daily working lives.
Dedicated to positive outcomes
According to the Journal of Christian Nursing: “Spiritual caring and spiritual love are intrinsic qualities in the nurse-client relationship that cannot be directly measured.”
The Christian faith is also based on finding personal strength from a relationship with God. Having a nurse who shares a belief in this can help patients with a similar faith to find new motivation to engage with treatments and work toward positive outcomes.
Respect and love
The entire nursing profession is held in high esteem for its ability to be empathetic, understanding, and responsive, including building trust and support with patients and colleagues.
However, as the Christian Medical Fellowship explains: “’The uniqueness of Christ-inspired nursing lies in its emphasis on caring for the whole person as embodied, respecting each person as created in the image of God.”
This can reinforce the nursing professionals’ respectful and humanistic relationship with other healthcare personnel, as well as with their patients.
Is nursing a Christian vocation?
There are many professions that enable people of faith to fulfill the roles of service and care. However, the many shared values and principles leave the way open for the nursing profession to be a particular calling for people who are Christians. They may feel inspired to want to continue Christ’s work in helping the sickest and most vulnerable members of society and showing unconditional, loving care as part of their service to God.
Additionally, they may hold a compelling belief that they need to grow personally, and continuously improve the patient care they can achieve in a working day. This may motivate nurses who are Christians to advance their career, to amplify their ability to be of service.
Career advancement involves enrolling in programs that lead to The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) qualification, or beyond that to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) qualification. By researching how to become a nurse practitioner (NP) in Tennessee individuals can explore the many specialist pathways this career advancement offers. Carson-Newman University is a nationally ranked Christian liberal arts university that provides a wealth of information on this topic, including the role ethics plays in modern nursing.
Ideal basis for person-centered care
There is now a strong leaning towards purposefully creating the systems and skillsets needed to deliver person-centered – humanistic – healthcare. Nurses with the ideal personal and professional skills and knowledge are at the forefront of this interdisciplinary and wide-ranging trend.
Nurses with Christian backgrounds and beliefs may unconsciously and organically remain alert to their patient’s spiritual and emotional matters. Though awareness and empathy for a patient’s beliefs and culture are also enhanced during NP training and clinical placements.
An illustration of how this manifests in modern healthcare would be when NPs are providing patients and their families with end-of-life care support. If appropriate, an understanding of Christianity can be much appreciated and highly relevant through this process.
Preventative healthcare and NPs
NPs – particularly FNPs – play a vital role in dispensing health protection advice too. This includes patient-specific ways to maintain health. Opting for healthcare provided by Christian organizations and professionals can be seen by some patients as a way to ensure information about preventative healthcare and lifestyle changes is in the context of religious views and values.
NPs also provide valuable support to patients who have chronic health conditions or serious, possibly life-changing injuries. For spiritual individuals, having a Christian nurse may make this a more comfortable and interactive experience. They may be confident about discussing their beliefs and preferences as part of humanistic care provided by an NP.
Support for nurses
Finally, it is important to mention that Christianity can be significant to the way nursing professionals practice their own self-care too.
While nursing is highly rewarding, nurses do face the prospect of patients dying, no matter the quality of care provided. They must also maintain their own family priorities while advancing their careers.
Having access to spiritual support within their workplace, community, family, or friends, can be a valuable way for nurses to protect their own physical, mental, and emotional health. This in turn can enable nurses of the Christian faith to become stronger and more resilient in their professional life.
