Faith in Nursing

My devotional time happens in the car. Not in a quiet room with a Bible and a journal and a hot cup of tea. In the car, on the way to the hospital, with worship music on and the shift ahead of me. That is where I gather myself. That is where I hand the … Read more

There was a shift where a patient died alone. I had done everything I could. The care was good — I know that. But they went without family, without anyone who loved them in the room, and there was nothing I could do to change that. The call bell was already ringing from somewhere else. … Read more

I pray for my patients quietly. Internally. Without saying a word out loud. Not because the prayer is less real that way — but because the people I care for come from every background, every belief system, every relationship with faith imaginable. Some are deeply religious. Some want nothing to do with God. Some are … Read more

There is a difference between a verse that looks good on a coffee mug and a verse that holds you together on a twelve-hour shift. Both exist. But nurses need the second kind. These are the verses that have actually meant something to me in the middle of the work — not as decoration, not … Read more

I watched a film recently where an elderly woman brought a cup of coffee to the main character. Room temperature. Deliberately. The grandmother knew exactly what she was doing — she brought it that way on purpose. And when the character tasted it and said “mine’s lukewarm,” the grandmother looked at her quietly and said: … Read more

There is a particular stillness in the room after someone passes. If you have been a nurse for any length of time, you know it. The monitors go quiet. The family’s breathing changes. And you — the professional, the trained one, the person who is supposed to know what to do — stand there, and … Read more

I want to be honest about something that doesn’t come up much in Christian nursing circles. My faith is not on fire. It is not particularly warm. Most days, working in a hospital or aged care facility, it feels — if I’m being completely truthful — a little flat. A little quiet. A little like … Read more