How God is at work in one of the hardest jobs in the world.
NURSES CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP AUSTRALIA
“Save one life, you’re a hero. Save 100 lives, you’re a nurse.” - unknown
Nursing is one of the hardest and most stressful occupations. Long hours, working on holidays, weekends and throughout the night, dealing with sickness, death and the pressure to know everything. We appreciate the hard work and sacrifice many nurse have made and are still making - particularly during the difficult season of Covid causing a mass rise in hospital admissions.
The mission of NCFA is to reach and teach nurses and midwives to become disciples of Jesus Christ in the nursing and midwifery professions; helping them to integrate their Christian faith with clinical practice, leadership, education and research.
NCFA provides support both spiritually and professionally, to nurses and midwives with opportunities to connect and network with other like minded health professionals who follow Jesus. They also support nurses and midwives through social events, professional breakfasts, prayer, conferences, regular newsletters and access to development courses with a Christian worldview.
NewLife reached out to the Nurses Christian Fellowship Australia (NCFA) to find out more about this great organisation that is assisting Christian nurses to live out their faith in the health industry workspace.
Below is from Rosemary Bulman, secretary of NCFA.
NCFA can trace its beginnings to as far back as 1911. Rev. Frank Paton was ill in the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). While he was there, he saw that the spiritual need of the nurses was very great but that there was no provision made to meet this need, given the nature and hours of their work. He gathered others to pray with him for the conversion of an RMH nurse to then in turn encourage others in the Christian Faith.
In 1924 Australian Nurses Christian Movement (ANCM) was officially established and a federal Constitution formally adopted in 1928. In the late 1970’s ANCM changed its name to be Nurses Christian Fellowship Australia (NCFA) to align itself with the International Fellowship of which ANCM had been a founding member since the late 1950’s. NCFA was a state based organisation, with oversight by a national executive until April 2017, when it became a nationally administered organisation, adopting a new constitution and was overseen by its board.
The mission of NCFA is to reach and teach nurses and midwives to become disciples of Jesus Christ in the nursing and midwifery professions; helping them to integrate their Christian faith with clinical practice, leadership education and research.
Our activities include holding professional workshops and conferences at which papers from a Christian perspective of health and nursing related issues are presented. In February 2021, the course which the educational subcommittee of the board had developed, Spiritual Care for Australian Nurses (SCAN) was endorsed by the Australian College of Nursing.
Here is a personal account from a nurse Kathleen who attended the SCAN Course Friday 23rd September 2022, followed by the national conference celebrating NCFA NSW Centenary Saturday 24th September 2022.
“I really did not know what to expect as I walked along the leafy road to Wahroonga Anglican Church in Sydney, to attend my first Nurses Christian Fellowship Australia (NCFA) events, that of the SCAN Course and a national conference celebrating NCFA NSW Centenary held on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th September 2022 respectively. I knew I was going into a space where I did not know anyone but was trusting the Lord that the common friendship found amongst Christians would break down any barrier. It is always daunting walking into a room of people that you do not know. But I found I enjoyed the company of wonderful people from all over Australia and the that of the NCF NZ President .
I have been a nurse since I was seventeen and a Christian for just as long. I had heard of NCFA but had never joined the fellowship, but now was my opportunity to do so.
Throughout the two days of the events, especially during the presentation of the SCAN course I had the opportunity to really think about my practice and my faith, in relation to the boundaries, laws and ethics involved in sharing the good news of Jesus in my work place. We live in an ever changing culture that is becoming more and more hostile to the name of Jesus. I was reminded that the name of Jesus is now very offensive even to mention. I remember one statement that stood out to me was that to say the name of Jesus could be considered spiritual abuse by some. It was both shocking and confronting, but it should not come as a surprise, as Jesus has warned us. In John chapter 15 vs 18-25 Jesus states “ If the world hates you keep in mind that it hated me first... If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…. They will treat you this way because of my name.”
We have to be very wise and mindful when we have the opportunity to share our faith with someone else at work. Whether it is another staff member or a patient. God calls us to be faithful to him but also to work within the rules and laws governing our nursing practice. We are to be good citizens of our country so that we do not bring shame to the name of Jesus. Throughout the SCAN course we were encouraged to know and be aware of our scope of practice, the rules governing us and keeping within those laws. They both protect us and our patients.
As Nurses that deeply love Jesus we have the opportunity to bring the Love of Jesus, his compassion, kindness and gentleness into our nursing practice. We have been given the fruit of the Spirit so that we can serve him humbly with grace. I am glad God gave me the courage to try something new. To attend the NCFA events and meet amazing and Godly people, living out their calling to follow Jesus, wherever they may go.”
NCFA also produce a publication, the Faith in Practice three times a year, hold informal fellowship gatherings, award periodic scholarships and run Saline Process Witness Training courses in collaboration with the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia (CMDFA) with whom we have a Memorandum of Understanding.
During the height of the COVID 19 pandemic we were able to pivot our face-to-face gatherings with online meetings and the board encouraged NCFA members and contacts with regular letters of thanks for what each of us were doing through those stretching times, praying that we would meet this pandemic of fear with an even greater pandemic of God’s love in motion.
Here’s a personal story of a nurse, Charity who I have recently had contact with.
“Christians often speak of the Church being the hands and feet of God spreading hope and proclaiming liberty to a lost and broken world. Some claim we are salt and light! Yum and sunnies! And some argue that many are called but few are chosen. I often wonder how do those statements relate to every Christian individual? More so, myself! Sometimes people ask me “how do you survive being a nurse? I simply respond, “It is my ministry and I feel at home”.
My journey as a nurse is an ongoing testament of God’s goodness and mercy. I remember vividly pestering heaven’s doors to secure a hospital training position in 2015 only to find myself taking the scenic route. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I was a desperate novice nurse eager to start her nursing career.
Fast-forward 7 years, when Covid came rolling onto the shores of Australia, God sovereignly opened the very door that I had asked for 7 years ago. Had he been deaf to my prayers? No. It was His perfect timing that I never understood. I was just beginning to see His grand plans unfolding before me.
Nurses are well known for their incredible ability to focus on their tasks, head home and zone out. Safe to say, I mastered that quickly. Though it got me thinking, how do I differ in my mundane nursing routine from my nursing peers? Is it my mannerism, character or work ethic that defines me as a good hardworking Christian nurse? I believe it is more than that. Nursing in itself already has its own intense stressors, insurmountable workload and unrealistic expectations. With COVID thrown into the works, many nurses found themselves making extreme career decisions. Many exited the profession entirely. Those remaining are left keeping the ship barely afloat. I have seen many questioned where was God in all of this madness. Some grew tired and gave up waiting for answers, but some did what I think is still the best abided in God.
I can relate to them all because at times I entertained doubtful thoughts and feelings of despair. I started to question why am I even a nurse? Was my asking to work in hospital a mistake to begin with? Honestly, as a nurse, I see more death, heartache and disappointment rather than miracles and victory. In such a short time, the health system has been brought to its knees. Everyone felt more isolated than before. People began to crave more meaningful connections in their workplaces. Well, I know I did. I needed someone, a fellow believer, to stand with me. To my surprise God graciously introduced me to a small but powerful group of prayer warriors at work. He places the solitary in families. We meet each week to pray. It is a sacred time of sharing God’s goodness and uplifting of one another in prayer.
Everyone is in survival mode at work. The atmosphere is rife with tension and pressure. People are frustrated and dissatisfied. Looking at each other’s eyes is enough to convey the dread of the day. Patients were presenting themselves at our front doors and were sicker than ever. Along with them come mental health needs and endless family conflicts or expectations to solve problems. It feels like the battle was lost even before that had begun. However, often the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that God is with us. This keeps me anchored and empowers me to keep stewarding well this season I find myself in.
It is an undeniable fact that Christians have an insatiable hunger for miraculous healings and deliverances. Albeit glorious and wonderful, but I believe that we can have greater impact in the smaller things too. I propose a concept as food for thought? If we profess to be believers and followers of Christ, carrying Christ in and with us wherever we go, why not apply that in our nursing profession? I find myself consciously asking God to use me for His glory. It may look like my bringing a solution to a long-awaited prayer, lending a shoulder to cry on, being a bridge for reconciliation and a sanctuary for someone in whom the person can confide. We are not just nurses. We are watchmen on the walls of healthcare. We put on both our nursing scrubs and the garment of priesthood. I truly believe that our patients encounter God through us. When my patients receive positive news, I can sense Christ’s delight. When my patients hold my hands, I see Christ holding their hands. When I am present during my patient’s final moments, I know Christ is in the room.
Therefore, I encourage all Christian nurses out there today, stay in the fight faithfully! Run your race enduringly! Our yes to God means we have the opportunity to partner with Him to do greater works! Do not be disheartened for the battle belongs to the LORD!”
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” - Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
Blessings Charity"
For more information about Nursing Christian Fellowship Australia Click Here
If you are a qualified nurse or midwife (or know one) and would like to become a member of NCF Australia Click Here
Or you can email ncf.australia@gmail.com
Rosemary Bulman NCF Australia Secretary