• “ I tell you the rule which exists in a community I know . They read once a week the versus about charity in the famous chapter in Corinthians , and 3 or 4 times a day they just think to themselves – Am I doing that ? If not , I am a nurse like a tinkling cymbal .”
• “ Show that you have been with Jesus , don ’ t be afraid of seeming unlearned & ignorant .
• Do you remember what is says in Acts about S . [ Saint ] Peter ’ s & S John ’ s wonderful influence , [ and ] all coming from this , that though they were unlearned [ and ] ignorant , people could see that they had been with Jesus . Can our patients so sharp to see and our assistants see in us that each day we have been with Jesus ?”
• Each one of us may in her life perhaps remember someone of whom she always felt that she had been with Jesus . What and influence she had ! What a shame it is that I [ and ] [ each ] one of us cannot say this of herself ! What shows that I have been with Jesus today ?”
In addition to her statements and Scripture references , two addi- tional observations in Nightingale ’ s letter impress me :
There is great temptation to a young community to be in a hurry , to scratch the ground [ and ] not to dig deep , to do surface work , to put in cut flowers instead of growing flowers [ and ] fruit from the seed . Strike your roots deep , rather than spread your branches too far . Stick tighter [ and ] stick to your Superintendent …. ( TAN , 1976 , p . 2 ).
Addressing the actions of the nurse related to the probationer , Nightingale wrote : “ What we wish them to do , let them see us do .” “ Now I don ’ t want to preach but to practice . Most dangerous flaw in trained nurses is complaining . What business have we to complain ?”
Florence Nightingale ’ s Christmas Eve letter , written 139 years ago , presents Christian nurses with relevant thoughts to ponder and questions to answer . The most important question from my perspective is : What shows that I have been with Jesus today ? Two thousand years ago , the rulers of Jerusalem wondered the same thing about two of Jesus ’ disciples :
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled , ordinary men , they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus . Acts 4:13 .
Note : The Museum of Nursing History , Inc . is located at LaSalle University School of Nursing , St . Benilde Tower , 1900 Olney Avenue , Philadelphia . PA . The Museum is the caretaker for many artifacts , mementos , pictures and the bust sculpture of the Blockley Nurse by Karel Miklos .
References
Early , Jane . 2013 . The Museum of Nursing History , Inc . Miss Alice Fisher and the Blockley Nurse . Retrieved from www . nursinghistory . org , June 28 , 2015 .
The American Nurse . ( 1976 , January 31 ). Nightingale letter to Alice Fisher in Philadelphia . The American Nurse , 8 ( 2 ): 2
Marilyn D . Harris , MSN , RN , NEA-BC , FAAN , is an elder and Faith Community Nurse Coordinator for Hatboro Baptist Church , Hatboro , Pennsylvania , and a Pastoral Care Volunteer for Abington Health , Abington , Pennsylvania .
Originally published in the Journal of Christian Nursing , Vol . 33 , No . 3 , p . 186 . JCN is a publication of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Nurses Christian Fellowship , USA . Reprinted with permission .
Marilyn Harris is the author of the Handbook of Home Health Care Administration . Marilyn retired in 1999 as executive director of Abington Memorial Hospital ’ s Home Care and Hospice . She is a lifetime member of PSNA and an honorary trustee member of the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania ( NFP ). As a staunch supporter of professional development , she believes in opportunities for nursing staff to grow professionally and develop leadership roles .
Winter 2016 Pennsylvania Nurse 13