NURSING IDEALS

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 July 1927, Page 7

NURSING IDEALS

By a N. 2— Trained Nurse. "The highest mystical vision, the sight of the Holy Grail, comes only to him that is pure from self and looks on the bleeding wound that sin has left m man, and is compassionate and gives himself to service and healing.-' In these materialistic days it is well to pause, on. taking up a profession of any kind, and try to think: Why do 1 this or that? Why am I drawn or inclined to take up such a profession? In fact — (1), what is the motive behind? Perhaps m no other profession is this so necessary as m the nursing one, with it endless and vast responsibilty and . opportunity. The Motive Behind our Decision.— The highest ideal that we all have, of course, is to dedicate our nursing to Our Lord. It is then to Him and for Him that we nurse. In the very early history of Christian nursing we find women who dedicated their lives to the tending of the sick, and m doing so believed that they were themselves tending the mystical body of Christ: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." It is to Him and for Him, then, that we nurse,

He being the Head and we His members m that mystical Body. His Body the Church, (2). The motto. And now that we have a motive, let us find a motto. There are soimany, but the most beautiful of all is^v I . think, .tq be found m that wonderful, book, '.'The Imitation of Christ." Let me quote it here: "Blush not to serve thy neighbour for the love of Jesus Christ." (3) . Responsibility. Responsibility and ' opportunity are linked so closely together that it- is a little hard to differentiate one from the other. But m this theme both He m the spiritual rather than the bodily sphere. You women of New Zealand have a vast responsibility put upon you. Let me illustrate my meaning with a true story: A Christian nurse once attending a rough working man of no education was asked the following question, as he pointed to the silver cross she wore: "Why do you wear that bauble?" The nurse, at a loss for words, replied; "Simply because I like to." Looking into her face, he caught the religious atmosphere brought to him by her. "Yes," he replied; "it is the lasses like you who should wear the cross." Let us remember ; then, it is "lasses like us" who may not only wear but carry the cross high. There is a beautiful old saying, that the. cross is "God's gift to His friends." r J!!hen one might follow with the words of an old Scotch woman: "Yel l follow, and gin He offers you His cross yell no refuse it, for He aye carries the heaviest end Himself." (4). Opportunity. Many a time, too, will come the opportunity of service, not merely m binding up the broken limb or the bleeding wound, but m many ways of helping your neighbour. Let me illustrate my meaning = by enumerating some of the characters which came before our' Lord m the days of His ministry. Similar people will probably pass through your hands : "The wistful heart of the mother; the t-midity of Nicodemus; the melancholy of Thomas-; the slownes sof Philip; the proud Bashfulness of the woman of Samaria ; the hot childishness of Peter ; the staring helplessness of some poor sufferer; the young ruler's besetting reservation; the .disciples' obstinate stupidity and blindness, and the sweet, shy hearts of little children, who know so much and they themselves unknowingly hunger to be known." Will it be asked of you: "Tell me, my son, have thiey seen Christ m thee?" The countless interruptions when-' off duty give another opportunity for ser-

vice. Walter Hihton, m his '"Scale of Perfection,^'' writes : "And though thou be at prayer or thy devotions that thou thinkest loath to break off, for that thou thinkest that thou oughtest not to leave God for to speak with anyone, I. think not so m this case; for if thou be wise thou shalt not leave God but thou shalt find Him and have Him and see Him m thy neighbours as well as m prayer. And m another manner, it thou canst love thy neighbour well, to speak with thy neighbour with discretion shall be no hindrance' to thee. If he come to tell thee his distress or trouble, and to be comforted by thy speech, hear him gladly and suffer him to say what he, will for the ease of his own heart, and when he hath done comfort him, if thou canst, gladly, gently, and charitably." And now comes a little advice: (a). Don't. Don't join the nursing profes-r son because the uniform is pretty. A girl once said to me: "Oh, I would love to be a nurse ; it is so trilling, to wear the ufniformj!" How- many nurses would answer: "And far more thrilling to take it off?" (b) Don't join the nursing profession because it is, dull at home. Have you ever realised how much duller it might be away? "Punch" takes a delightful attitude here: "And why. my dear, have you taken up nursing?" saye the old padre. "Oh, it is so dull at home. Mother's got rheumatism, and father is Wind j so I thought I would." (c) Do have a sense of humour. It has, you know, been called "that crowning virtue of saints, that sound, good sense, with a little -sparkle upon it as of delicate humour." Let us remember, then.:, (i) A motive; (ii- a motto; (iii) responsibility; (iv) opportunity; two "don'ts" and one "do." There is a beautiful book which all nurses should read: "In Watchings Often," by Archdeacon Holmes. Try and get it; it will put before you the nursing profession m the most fascinating way, with the highest ideals combined. Meanwhile let us remember we are free to choose our profession Let me give you these bleautiful words to end with: — "I and my valiant ones fight m the van Where nought is sure but wound and glorious shame ; But ye are free — it is your will to dare And share my great adventure for the world."