Growing Professionally

Volume 23, Number 4 Fall 2006

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GOING DEEPER

Personal or group study ideas.
Read the articles, choose your questions!

Rx for Compassion Fatigue:
(Read McHolm, pp. 12-19.)
a/ In what ways do you see signs of burnout or compassion fatigue in your nursing? Read the Bible references listed in the sidebar, p. 13. What areas of your practice need removing? cleansing? renewing? filling? Where might God be asking you to serve? What work might God want to do in your heart to help you overcome or avoid compassion fatigue?
b/ Read the account of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.What elements of compassion fatigue does Elijah exhibit? How does God care for him? What does that tell you about God's desires for health?

Nursing Cameos:
(Read the stories on pp. 38-48.)
a/ Describe a time when God confirmed your calling to nursing through an encounter with a patient. What have you learned about God through your nursing experiences?

Kingdom of God Nursing:
(Read Bullock, pp. 26-28.)
a/ Read Col 3:23-24. How does this relate to patient care?
b/ Read Mt 20:20-28. What principles do we learn from Jesus' leadership? How can servant leadership affect the workplace? Share an example.

Serving After a Crisis:
(Read Shelly, pp. 49-53.)
a/ Read Jn 12:26 and Gal 5:13-14. Where are you serving? How is God at work through your service?
b/ What is your response to Hurricane Katrina? What specifically can you do to assist?

(Select the article title to view a summary.)

3 Called to Excellence - Editorial

6 Rx for Compassion Fatigue
Lisa Trafecanty

In nursing, caring evolved from being based on Christ's command to care for the needy, to science-based to holistic caring. What is biblical caring today?

22 Magnet Recognition: The Rush Experience
Beverly Hancock

What's it like to be a Magnet Coordinator? For this nurse, it is upholding biblical values of excellence.

26 Magnet Nursing and Kingdom of God Principles
Robyn K. Bullock

Do the Forces of Magnetism seem familiar? They parallel principles Jesus taught.

29 Principles for a Healthy Work Environment
Judith Allen Shelly

How can Christians respond when the milieu at work is fractious and unhealthy?

32 TV Nurses Often Hurt More than Heal
Hila J. Spear

Media portrayals of nursing usually are inadequate or degrading. Speak out for change?

35 When It's Time to Leave
Nancy Andrews

King Solomon said there's "a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die (Eccl 3)." Is there a time to leave?

36 No More Coasting
Norma Singer

Ever feel like you're just going through the motions at work?