God Bless: The Christian Nurse

Over the years, greater demands have accumulated and distributed to health care professionals, especially in the field of nursing. Nurses are expected to assist physicians in taking care of their ailments. A nursing shortage has placed greater burdens on qualified individuals already in the workplace, which has led to an expanse of various specialties, such as alternative care through unconventional therapies. Some of these therapies may involve a mixture of religious intervention, such as the Christian Science Nurses, and holistic approaches to medicine using whole food, energy therapy, hypnosis, vitamins and supplements, and other offshoot interventions.

Steps to Become a Christian Nurse:

Christian Science Nurses must enroll into a traditional training program that will grant them the qualifications needed to work in a health care environment. Most of these introductory courses will teach prospective students how to identify common signs and symptoms within a patient in order to provide a full assessment to a physician for a certified diagnosis. Christian Science Nurses have to enroll into specialty training programs offered by various Christian Science nursing organizations in order to enter the workforce with the appropriate credentials. Christian Nurses rely solely on God for inspiration and practical wisdom to assist patient's in providing the necessary comfort, rest, cleanliness, safety, mobility, and nourishment.

Why are Christian Nurses Needed?

The United States health care industry suffers from a shortage of nurses to meet the demands of an expanding population. Once entering the nursing field, qualified nurses have the opportunity to branch out into various specialties, such as Christian Nursing, and other alternative approaches to medicine. Some religious sects prefer to do business with practitioners of their faith. This involves industries stemming from attorneys and physicians to car repair technicians. Patients of a religious background simply find it easier to trust a professional who relies on God more than their education and training. Christian Nurses can also satisfy a patients desire for a supportive health care aide during troublesome times. Christian Nurses do not diagnose, administer drugs, or provide physical therapy or medical treatment. Instead, they rely on Christian Science principles for healing.Christian Nurse.

Where Do Christian Nurses Work?

As with most health care professionals and practitioners, Christian Science nurses charge for their services that rely on God for healing, usually through prayerful meditation, holistic medicine, energy therapy, and faith alone to bring about change in a patient's situation. Christian Nurses may work at inpatient and outpatient facilities with rates varying according to the institutions discretion. Other Christian Nurses may work as entrepreneurs under the supervision of the Christian Science community.

The Holistic Approach to Medicine:

Holistic medicine involves a medical practice that upholds the standard of fulfilling the psychological, physical, and social needs of all patients. Holistic medicine may involve the healing of ailments through physical, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual intervention. Holistic medicine may approach healing through unconventional standards not accepted in the scientifically-backed medical community. For instance, some health care practitioners may use a natural approach through whole foods, vitamins and supplements, herbs, prayer, hypnosis, meditation, and energy work to address physical, mental, and spiritual blockages.

Alternative Techniques Used by Christian Nurses:

Christian Science Nurses call upon divine inspiration and practical wisdom from God to assess the right method to provide healing to patients. Some Christian Science Nurses will use alternative therapies, generally rejected by conventional medicine due to lack of scientifically-backed evidence. Some of these alternative therapies are heavily based on spiritual application, such as prayer, laying on of hands, fasting, spiritual warfare, whole foods remediation, vitamins and supplements, meditation, hypnosis, energy healing, and other alternative therapies. Other Christian Science Nurses perceive these methodologies as demonic, or may inquire with the patient's acceptance of using these techniques. Overall, Christian Science Nurses utilize their faith to bring forth healing in their patients.