00:00:00:00 – 00:00:26:23
Speaker 1
Welcome to the Belmont Abbey podcast. I am Doctor Leanne Kenny here in our skills lab. In nursing. I’ll be host for today’s episode. We’re excited to be talking about Abbey nursing and how we foster the Benedictine hallmarks in our program and with patient care in this clinical setting. I am joined with faculty member and vice chair and two senior students.

00:00:26:23 – 00:00:29:04
Speaker 1
And if you all can introduce yourselves.

00:00:29:06 – 00:00:34:16
Speaker 2
Hello, I’m Emily Nishiyama. I am the vice chair of the nursing department here at Belmont Abbey.

00:00:35:03 – 00:00:43:09
Speaker 3
Hi, I’m Ellie Berger. I’m a senior in the nursing program here. Hi, I’m Sydney Fields. I’m also a senior in the nursing department.

00:00:43:10 – 00:01:16:18
Speaker 1
Awesome. Thank you. I’m feel by definition. Nursing as a profession incorporates the hallmarks day in and day out, regardless of one’s own spiritual beliefs. I really think of it as a mindset a nurse has and implements with their patient interactions. To go over a little bit about, our nursing program and how our nursing students receive, that particularly our, our how they receive, particularly regarding how faith is integrated into their courses.

00:01:17:11 – 00:01:51:15
Speaker 1
We are a newer program at Belmont Abbey College and just, graduating our first, cohorts of three different programs are into BSN, our traditional BSN students, as well as our master’s students. And all three programs share one common program learning outcome. And that is that the program, curriculum and graduates performance reflect an education that is grounded in the hallmarks of Benedictine education, faithful to the ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services.

00:01:51:17 – 00:02:31:22
Speaker 1
So our core values embody the ten, Benedictine hallmarks, through their education. And those include love, prayer, stability, conversation, obedience, discipline, humility, stewardship, hospitality and community. So ways that these are incorporated through our classes, we incorporate it through, faculty, role modeling. We also, demonstrate outward love of Christ and towards others engaging in active prayer life, seeking opportunities to engage in selfless acts of caring for those in a deeper and more broader way.

00:02:32:00 – 00:03:06:05
Speaker 1
Activities that our students, do throughout their semesters would be reflections, journaling, especially in our clinical courses. Students discuss how they incorporate their hallmarks or the Benedictine hallmarks, in their patient, care experiences. So I feel this foundational use of the hallmarks will allow students not only to be comfortable applying them to their patient care, but also for it to be part of their nursing role as a professional nurse when they graduate.

00:03:07:01 – 00:03:18:21
Speaker 1
So why don’t we have some discussion about some of the challenges and rewards that, working in health care has while maintaining strong faith?

00:03:19:05 – 00:03:38:09
Speaker 3
I feel like something that we face a lot. We are faced with so many different people and personalities that we see day to day as nurses or nursing students. And so that could be different faith, just different beliefs in general. So being able to hold that strong faith is definitely a challenge that we can face day to day.

00:03:38:11 – 00:03:58:22
Speaker 3
So especially through that, you know, approaching everyone with the love of Christ and, you know, treating everyone as you know, we would want to be treated, you know, golden rule on that. But really, just like providing listening and love to these patients who, you know, are going through the hardest times of their lives right now. You know, nobody’s happy in the hospital, but it’s our goal to make them happy.

00:03:59:00 – 00:04:01:18
Speaker 3
Yeah, make them feel a little better. Yeah.

00:04:01:20 – 00:04:36:16
Speaker 2
I think our society, tends to, negate the importance of personal faith. The Christian faith, in the inner workings of everyday life, especially when it comes to, health care and nursing. I think the challenges that I have seen is, there is a reluctance, I think, with individuals who are Christians. Being able to, proclaim or to share, their faith with patients.

00:04:37:08 – 00:05:02:09
Speaker 2
I think the reluctance is, is there because society tells us that that might not be the most appropriate thing to do. I can I can confidently say that given the patients that have expressed outward, need for a prayer or, discussion about personal faith, I have certainly, had conversations and prayed with my patients and prayed with families.

00:05:03:03 – 00:05:24:17
Speaker 2
And but I still think the challenge is there to openly, feel comfortable to, discuss, you know, our, our faith, our spiritual walk. And so I do think that is a challenge that, I myself and I think many other nurses and nursing students possibly have experienced.

00:05:24:19 – 00:05:48:01
Speaker 3
I think that’s a great thing about Belmont Abbey’s nursing program that I know, at least me and Lee have gotten to experiences. A lot of nursing programs, especially, not affiliated with any type of belief. They can’t discuss things like faith with their patients and things like that. And I know, at least for Ellie and I, we’ve both got to experience how much that can help our patients just by talking with faith, praying for them, praying with them.

00:05:49:02 – 00:06:21:21
Speaker 3
Things that we couldn’t do if we when we’re in a different program. Yeah. I think sometimes the reactions you get from patients when you say, oh, I’ll be sure to pray for you. Do you want to pray is generally overwhelmingly pretty positive. It’s very it’s actually quite sweet to me. And I’m like, oh, thank you. Like this kind of stuff of, you know, bringing their faith into kind of the hospital environment where, you know, they might not even get a clergy visit unless they’re, you know, dying or something, you know, and it’s nice to have that more as just support and know that people are thinking of you.

00:06:21:21 – 00:06:31:19
Speaker 3
Aside from just giving them medication and like providing, ADLs and stuff, that can be the best medicine they get. You know.

00:06:31:21 – 00:07:02:14
Speaker 2
I think there’s freedom in being able to extend the person you truly are as a Christian to be able to say in class or possibly with your patients, you know, I’ll pray for you or let’s pray together. I think about these Benedictine hallmarks. And you mentioned Belmont Abbey’s program here. These Benedictine hallmarks are are wonderful in the sense of, of, providing a foundation for our program.

00:07:02:16 – 00:07:44:06
Speaker 2
But if you truly look at them, they are the behaviors, the qualities that a nurse embodies. And I think it’s, you know, I look at these and, and think of love or hospitality or, humility, discipline. All of those are a nurse, whether you are a Christian or not. That is what a nurse is. But to have these Benedictine hallmarks as a foundation here at Belmont Abbey is just, a solid, foundation for us to be able to, practice freely what it means to be a nurse and what it means to be a Christian.

00:07:44:08 – 00:08:07:09
Speaker 3
Yeah, exactly. I mean, a big reason I think I eventually got to where I was wanting to be a nurse was realizing that people needed care both physically and spiritually. What more can I do for a person than, you know, provide them physical healing, but also provide them spiritual care and support? You know, I mean, I, I go home after clinicals and I pray for my patients.

00:08:07:11 – 00:08:11:00
Speaker 3
You know, it’s it’s something that I think about quite often.

00:08:11:02 – 00:08:43:04
Speaker 2
And when we care for patients, we know you guys are learning. We know this as nurses that you’re caring for the patient in a holistic manner. Mind, body and spirit. It’s not just the physical, managing their pain or treating their infection that we’re caring for is, is, caring for the mind, body and spirit. So, I think, again, the Benedictine hallmarks focuses or helps us to focus on that within our program.

00:08:43:05 – 00:09:11:18
Speaker 1
And I think also it’s finding that that comfort, because a lot of what prevents us from being able to comfortably and freely, practice our faith while working as a nurse. It’s a struggle for many, you know, but I think once you’ve overcome that hurdle and you realize, wow, there are patients out there that want to hear what I have to say.

00:09:11:20 – 00:09:42:00
Speaker 1
I want to hear what they have to say. We we’re working. We’re collaborating with our patients. And this is part of collaboration. Like you had mentioned earlier in a past conversation, you know, we’re not giving medication, but that’s a different kind of medication. It’s a spiritual medication. And I know in my history of nursing over 32 years, I know the patients that, had a better disposition, more happy, regardless of what their outcome is going to be.

00:09:42:02 – 00:10:09:11
Speaker 1
They faced it a little bit different, a little bit more, were stronger, knowing that they had, a nurse that was with them and, you know, who shared some of the same values. We don’t have to be the same. Follow the same religious beliefs. But a lot of our values are the same. And I think that in doing some, a little bit of research and I knew this too, but how deeply the Catholic faith is rooted in nursing profession.

00:10:09:13 – 00:10:34:20
Speaker 1
It just really amazes me. And, you know, the Catholic Church is said to have been established, established in nursing as a profession for women to care for sick back in the early 18 1900s. Florence Nightingale, who is the mother of nursing. She was not a Catholic, but she was deeply rooted in the Roman Catholic, beliefs.

00:10:34:20 – 00:10:43:08
Speaker 1
And she felt that caring for her patients was a calling from God. And, you know, that’s kind of no different than how.

00:10:43:09 – 00:10:44:18
Speaker 2
We.

00:10:44:20 – 00:11:08:02
Speaker 1
We kind of guide our students through being, you know, good stewards of our patients and loving, with our patients. So it’s just it’s just really an awesome way to see how this connects with our faith. Nursing really is deeply rooted in Christianity and Catholic. How how do you guys feel? We talked about the patient, but how about you guys?

00:11:08:04 – 00:11:32:10
Speaker 1
How do you feel being able to, rely on your faith to get you through some of these hard, situations? Because we know that nursing is not always. It can be very sad. And so how and I’m sure you guys are in your second year in the nursing program, and I’m sure that you have witnessed and seen things or heard things that you went home kind of questioning things.

00:11:32:10 – 00:11:35:19
Speaker 1
How how is your faith gotten you through some of those hard times?

00:11:35:21 – 00:12:00:23
Speaker 3
Definitely. It’s all it’s all trust. It’s all trust that, you know, there there is a reason. There’s a purpose. And, you know, sometimes, you know, God works through suffering and works for the people, works through the people who are helping you through suffering. You know, and sometimes nice to know that you are able to provide God’s love to, you know, these patients who are suffering.

00:12:01:13 – 00:12:25:08
Speaker 3
I think even with supporting each other as nurses to the community, you know, that’s one of the big, Benedictine hallmarks is providing a community for for other nurses to go through who are going through, hard times with patients, you know, it takes a toll. Yeah, for sure. And I think making that safe space for each other, whether it be in the clinical setting or in the classroom setting.

00:12:25:16 – 00:12:40:13
Speaker 3
Nursing school is not easy where you work. I mean, it’s hard stuff. And so having that support, a faith based support where we’re praying for each other, thinking of each other, going through similar things that we’re all together. So just being able to pray for each other because we know what each other going through.

00:12:40:23 – 00:12:44:19
Speaker 3
Just having that community and faith based. Yeah, that was, I.

00:12:44:19 – 00:13:07:23
Speaker 2
Think, kind of on the opposite side. If we as faculty. I was just thinking of when I started here at, well, before I started, when I was being interviewed, I asked the simple question, you know, can I pray with my students? And the response I got was, of course, we want you to pray with your students.

00:13:08:01 – 00:13:30:17
Speaker 2
Can I talk about my, spiritual interactions that I’ve had with patients from based on my my my Christian faith? Of course. We want you to share that. And so now that I’m over two years of being here and being able to share stories and things that I’ve experienced, and being able to pray with you all before dreaded test, you know, that brings me joy.

00:13:30:17 – 00:14:08:03
Speaker 2
Maybe not so much for you guys, but, that is that has been fulfillment for me personally with, you know, being able to extend again who I am as a person and to the role, as an educator. I would also like to think maybe, hopefully, I feel like all of us faculty try to do this, but modeling the behavior, of the Christian faith, of the Benedictine hallmarks as a faculty member and as a nurse, that is something that you guys pick up on.

00:14:08:03 – 00:14:29:09
Speaker 2
And you can, see that, okay, I can be a nurse. I can be a Christian nurse that models these, that demonstrates these behaviors. So, that is one thing that I hope that we as faculty can do continue to do. Just demonstrating these qualities.

00:14:29:11 – 00:14:56:09
Speaker 3
We definitely like even with the innate code of ethics, we kind of and those they tend to actually mirror each other of doing good for the patient and listening and just doing what we think is moral. And despite what some other people might say and doing what is the best for the patient, you know, and respecting their wishes as well, you know, listening to the patient, sometimes I know more than you might know.

00:14:56:11 – 00:15:13:00
Speaker 3
They know themselves very well, and it takes humility to understand that, you know, takes love to sometimes do the hard thing for the patient, you know, so know you gotta you got to do this. It’s for your own good. We’re we’re going to get you up after you have the surgery. I know you’re tired, but this is to help prevent.

00:15:13:01 – 00:15:28:00
Speaker 3
Yeah. Embolisms, you know, to help, to help you get better quicker and so that you can be back living your life outside of the hospital and doing doing it with love and charity.

00:15:28:01 – 00:16:00:12
Speaker 2
So know I think the Anna code of ethics and other kind of nursing, regulatory kind of frameworks out there really upholds the, the term of beneficence, of doing what is good for the patient, what is pure for the patient. You read the Benedictine hallmarks, that is, through and through, like you said. Exactly what some of these secular, nursing specific, bodies say.

00:16:00:12 – 00:16:06:21
Speaker 2
So it is kind of ironic that they do mirror each other. Don’t do.

00:16:06:23 – 00:16:16:14
Speaker 1
It. Do. Well, that’s great conversation. Emily. Do you have any other, talking points that you’d like to maybe bring out?

00:16:16:16 – 00:16:45:02
Speaker 2
Yeah. So one thing that I, I was reading over these hallmarks in, you know, some are, more straightforward than others. You think about love. Love is love. And I think we can all have our versions on that. We can talk all day about that prayer. Is that, one thing that I. One of these that I really resonated with was hospitality, welcoming each other as Christ himself.

00:16:45:18 – 00:17:26:06
Speaker 2
And then when you read the description of hospitality, it’s talking about essentially, sharing, loving, one another despite diverse races, cultures and backgrounds. So, I thought back to all these stories that came out after the Boston bombing, and that’s probably I cannot remember when that was. There’s been at least ten years or so ago, but there were all kinds of stories that talked about the nurses taking care of the victims, the victims of the bombing, but they also had to take care of the suspect of who was responsible for the bombing.

00:17:26:08 – 00:17:57:01
Speaker 2
And I think about those nurses who took care of that suspect at the time. And what it must have taken them, in order to provide non-biased care. Care that was full of compassion and love and and the qualities that we know we’re supposed to demonstrate as a nurse. I just think about that, and I think about those nurses had to have demonstrated that, that, hospitality.

00:17:58:00 – 00:18:29:06
Speaker 2
And I just that’s hard. That’s hard to do is hard to do when personal, personal beliefs maybe coincide with the beliefs of our patients. I think about my experience working in the E.R.. We had patients who came in who were, overdose victims, and we would pull out needles, syringes out of their pockets. But that did not keep us from nurturing them.

00:18:29:06 – 00:18:57:10
Speaker 2
Caring for them. And who knows? You know, if the opportunity would have, would have come about where I would have gotten to pray with that patient. I would have done that. But I think that is a calling that we as nurses have to take care, of our patients provide that hospitality no matter what. Is it, being an extension of of Christ’s love that he has for us as well?

00:18:57:12 – 00:19:17:16
Speaker 3
I think that is really big, because sometimes it is difficult to see those patients the same as each other. You see the victims, so taking care of them, showing them the love that God shows us because God loves them just as much as he loves us. So showing them that same love as you’re showing the suspects, the victims, that same attention.

00:19:18:17 – 00:19:39:12
Speaker 3
And so all of that, giving them the resources they need, it can be hard, especially as nursing students like learning. That is definitely difficult. But I think being in those settings helps because we do see a lot of, you know, overdose user, alcohol use and things like that. And it’s just hard to see those patients.

00:19:39:14 – 00:19:41:11
Speaker 1
And we’re called to treat people who need us.

00:19:41:17 – 00:19:42:03
Speaker 3
Yes.

00:19:42:05 – 00:20:06:04
Speaker 1
You have to put your biases side. You have to put your how your true feelings were are of maybe an act that that person had done. Possibly to somebody else. And that’s hard. That is extremely difficult. And I think for me that’s where prayer became very instrumental in my being able to get through some of these, you know, some of these shifts.

00:20:07:06 – 00:20:35:20
Speaker 1
So I had, I had heard of a quote from Mother Theresa and of Calcutta, and she actually said this to Bishop Kurland and, and it just really resonates. And it also kind of embraces much of the hallmarks. And she had, told him that if if we see with our eyes, we see leper, if we see with our heart, we see Jesus.

00:20:35:22 – 00:21:01:07
Speaker 1
And when you think about how we always treat people, a lot of times just because of the exterior, but we don’t really look at them. And how can you love somebody if you’re not truly looking at them, who they are instead of the whole superficial? And that’s just something that is just I’ll take with me always, because it’s just real.

00:21:01:07 – 00:21:05:19
Speaker 1
And I just learned of this quote. So and I just think about it often.

00:21:05:21 – 00:21:07:00
Speaker 3
I really like that.

00:21:07:02 – 00:21:39:15
Speaker 2
It’s and being, not being quick to judge, and listening, listening to our patients listening, listening to hear, the back story of, maybe a situation alcohol abuse or whatever it is that they, that a patient has come in with, but not jumping to conclusions or formulating, kind of a persona that you think this patient is, so yeah.

00:21:39:17 – 00:21:58:22
Speaker 3
Yeah. And even just like taking the time to sit down and talk with the patient, it was nursing students. We kind of have a luxury of, you know, we don’t have 5 or 6 other patients to take care of. So our day isn’t so structured. So we can take the time of sit and talk and get to know our patients, and you’ll find out where they’re from and what they like to do and family.

00:21:58:22 – 00:22:21:07
Speaker 3
And sometimes it’s just really good for them to get to know them deeper. You find, oh, you like to do this? I do this too. Or I have family who does this? Do you guys go do this and on and on and on. And it’s just so good for the patient, you know, the conversations you, you know, having this conversation and sharing I feel like being able to sit down with them is a game changer.

00:22:21:07 – 00:22:36:02
Speaker 3
Because sometimes when you are busy, a nurse is run around with it like a chicken with their head cut off. Sometimes it’s crazy some days, but as nursing students, we have that one patient and we only know them for a few hours. We may never see them again. We may see them every week when we come back.

00:22:36:23 – 00:22:54:10
Speaker 3
But we only know them for that those few hours. So making sure they get care from us, that’s as personal as possible, and sitting down with them and learning who they are, not just looking at their chart and thinking, oh, they have this, this and this. Their must, their lifestyle must have been this, this and this and just learning about different things.

00:22:54:10 – 00:23:11:13
Speaker 3
I know one of our first, the first patients that we took together. Yes, together. I will always think of her in my mind as we sat and talked with her for five minutes and she just broke down. She’s gone through so much and so much pain and she was like, it’s so nice to talk to someone. And we were able to provide her love.

00:23:11:13 – 00:23:26:19
Speaker 3
I mean, she wanted a hug. We gave her a home and she’s, you know, asked for us to pray for her. We saw her the next week and she was like, were you praying for me? It’s so good to see you. We went I had different a different patient assigned, and I still went in and saw her and I was like, oh my gosh, it’s good to see you.

00:23:26:21 – 00:23:33:01
Speaker 3
Yeah. And it’s great that that has stuck in my mind. And it’s been six months.

00:23:33:04 – 00:23:58:07
Speaker 1
To think about how those outcomes, because we’re very outcome driven as a, as a profession. And we know you give someone pain medication. The outcome of that is they’re going to have less pain. But think about the outcome of of showing love, of showing humility with, with a client, with a patient. You know, of having that conversation with them, of having discipline.

00:23:58:07 – 00:24:09:04
Speaker 1
I mean, how many times do you want to interject? But having that discipline say, no, it’s not about me. It’s about my patient. They need to talk. I need to hear. I need to listen to them.

00:24:09:06 – 00:24:24:02
Speaker 3
Yeah. And I think a big thing is encouragement with a lot of our patients because once again I’m thinking of that same lady. We went in there and she just didn’t have a lot of family visiting her. And she just kind of got to the point in her life where she’s like, I just don’t know if, if I want to be here anymore.

00:24:24:02 – 00:24:40:12
Speaker 3
And so sometimes just that conversation of encouragement and what she does have an insight on, like her faith and bringing up prayer, it sparked something in her. She hasn’t gotten up for a few days. And I remember that next week she told us she had gotten up a few times. She’s walking around. It’s that encouragement that promotes healing.

00:24:40:12 – 00:24:59:18
Speaker 3
So, you know, getting a blood flow, healing like we were talking about earlier. It’s so nice. We saw her gradually come off of pain meds, get better. And then I was working in the same unit, same week. Sometimes you don’t see that you’re a patient, but sometimes you do, and you get to see them better, and then they’re not there the next week and you’re like, oh my goodness, they’re home.

00:24:59:20 – 00:25:13:12
Speaker 3
Yeah, they’re done. It’s just it’s a really it’s a wonderful feeling. Yeah. So like know that you are actually having an impact on people’s lives even as a nursing student. Yeah. And you’re to see. Absolutely.

00:25:13:14 – 00:25:32:20
Speaker 1
And sometimes you may never know what your impact is. And that’s okay. Yeah. That’s okay. If you leave feeling like you’ve made a difference in that person’s life because you gave them an extra 5 or 10 minutes, and that doesn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. But it could be it could be eternity for that, for that patient.

00:25:32:20 – 00:25:33:13
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:25:33:15 – 00:25:48:19
Speaker 1
It could be that that mindset of I don’t want to be here anymore to wow, maybe I’ll get to see Ellie or Sydney next week. Maybe, maybe they’ll stop in and say hey to me and check on me, you know? And that just gives patients hope.

00:25:48:21 – 00:25:51:23
Speaker 3
Definitely, definitely.

00:25:52:13 – 00:26:02:00
Speaker 1
Do you have any advice for nurses, looking to try and implement these hallmarks, into their professional lives?

00:26:02:02 – 00:26:22:18
Speaker 3
You just gotta go for it. That’s. It starts with prayer. Everything starts with prayer. You’re relying on God and trusting. Yeah. You know, I I’ve been praying litany of trust. It’s written by the Sisters of Life for the past year, and it has absolutely changed my life. Yeah, I’m just trust and trust that you’ll be okay. God is guiding you.

00:26:22:20 – 00:26:52:10
Speaker 3
Yeah, like you said, this is you are called to this. This is a vocation. I mean, nurses are if you are a nurse, you are meant to be where you are. You’re meant to take care of these patients. And God is calling you to go deeper into that and maybe invite him more into that. Yeah. And I also think, like you said, trusting that could be the first step for a lot of nurses if they’ve never implemented some of these hallmarks in their work.

00:26:52:12 – 00:27:10:20
Speaker 3
Trusting can be a huge thing. Like we’ve talked about, nursing is stressful. So just remembering that God does have that plan, he already knows the outcome. He knows what’s going to happen. So just trusting in God’s work, I think would be a huge first step for somebody that is able to implement these. And then, like you said, prayer is huge.

00:27:10:20 – 00:27:14:08
Speaker 3
Prayer works miracles. So,

00:27:14:10 – 00:27:45:07
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah, I think, I think about the nurse who, was probably like me as a new grad who, has a Christian faith, has a Christian foundation, but maybe is afraid to, afraid or unaware of how to spark a conversation with their patients or their families. So I think the, the advice that I would have is, I probably like your leave and go for it.

00:27:45:09 – 00:28:14:07
Speaker 2
Don’t don’t hold back. I mean, if this is a calling, if this is what God has placed on our hearts to do as a profession, then we need to carry forth the love, the prayer, the grace that God has given to us and sharing that. And, and also it might not be verbally communicating these things, it might just simply be demonstrating these by your actions and your behaviors.

00:28:14:12 – 00:28:39:20
Speaker 2
Because sometimes that is the biggest way we can, share God’s love with one another. Maybe it’s not the physical conversation, but maybe it’s, going out of our way to go over and beyond what’s needed for a patient. So I would say that is my, advice is just to, you know, don’t hold back.

00:28:39:22 – 00:28:50:19
Speaker 2
This is part of who you are as as a nurse. And, carry forth, what God has, has chosen for you as a path, as a profession.

00:28:51:00 – 00:29:10:00
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think bearing God’s fruits and showing your patients that way isn’t necessarily saying you need to go in your patient’s room and tell them all about Jesus right now if they have no faith background. But just bearing God’s fruits and showing, you know, love, patience, kindness, all of its fruits, to your patient, that could be huge.

00:29:10:00 – 00:29:14:02
Speaker 3
And they’re like, I wonder what they have that I might be missing, or to your colleagues.

00:29:14:05 – 00:29:39:15
Speaker 1
So sometimes it’s entering a patient’s room without your tools. Just pulling up a chair, sitting by their bed and holding your hand, talking about the weather, talking about, you know, tell me about your childhood or you know, just simple conversation with no motives. No, no task. No. You know, I’ve got injection for you or I’ve got, you know, I’ve got this for you.

00:29:39:15 – 00:30:01:02
Speaker 1
But but just putting all that aside and just giving that those five minutes to that client and you know, that that warm touch. And again, it just does so much for, for them and then your, their outcomes, you know, regardless of what the end outcome is going to be, it just helps them, get through that moment.

00:30:02:02 – 00:30:25:22
Speaker 1
Anything else that y’all want to share? I do want to mention one thing. And Ellie and Sidney you can probably speak to this. You know we do know that after a student we got a lot of support in in our program. We do have a nurse Christian fellowship group that is a student run organization. And, Ellie and Sidney are both, originals.

00:30:26:06 – 00:30:51:11
Speaker 1
We started it last, last semester or last academic year, and it’s been very well received by our Pre-nursing students, as well as all of our nursing students. And but it is professional organization. So you graduate and you still have the Nurse Christian Fellowship organization, to support you and to be able to roundtable and bring some of these struggles that you may have once you’ve graduated.

00:30:52:02 – 00:31:02:14
Speaker 1
You know, it gives you a community to share your, your Christian and Catholic beliefs as well as trials and tribulations as you move forward in your profession.

00:31:02:16 – 00:31:29:00
Speaker 3
Yeah, I definitely we’ve been doing Bible studies and even last year as a junior, talking to the seniors about their experiences in clinicals and their how they’ve gotten through this and being able to provide support for each other. It’s just been awesome. Yeah, not only was it like faith based and it helped us grow in our spirituality together, but like you said, it was like a support group with, you know, seniors, juniors and pre-nursing students where we’re all sharing our different experiences and we’re like, how did you get there?

00:31:29:00 – 00:31:36:05
Speaker 3
That’s yeah, I need help. So, like, I think that was perfect for us to all be able to come together once a month and just share that.

00:31:36:07 – 00:31:40:16
Speaker 1
And it gives you confidence and give you gives you confidence when you go into that patient’s room.

00:31:40:17 – 00:31:43:00
Speaker 3
Yes, definitely.

00:31:43:02 – 00:32:09:06
Speaker 2
I think we are fortunate to have, community of us with within the nursing department. But then, this, this organization too is another subset of community. And, being able to lean into each other with the hard times, a good times, but doing so from a faith based, perspective, which I think is wonderful. All right.

00:32:09:08 – 00:32:37:08
Speaker 1
Well, as we conclude, I want to thank you. Thank you, audience, for joining us. And thank Miss Nishiyama, as well as Ellie and Sidney for taking the time to join us for this episode, and for this wonderful conversation.

• Belmont Abbey College Nursing