The whole service of nursing is an engagement with the body. Weak and fragile, broken, wounded, rotten body is approached with care, tenderness and sacredness. At the same time bearing in their (nurses) own body the fatigue, hunger, sweat, drowsiness, and even illness. When fired, they try to raise their minds to hold it within themselves.The wounded healer is made alive in their own body.
As the theme seems to suggest, nursing requires a well integrated personality both for the good functioning of the service in the hospital, and for the well being of the nurses themselves. A mere academic knowledge may not suffice for placing oneself into such a service. Developing human sensitivity may be the beginning. It is carefully being attentive, first of all to oneself, then to other members of the staff and to the patients. Being attentive to oneself is most important because it is important to be aware of what happens to one's mind and body when we engage in the healing process of others. It is the compassion we give to ourselves that flows to the patients. Since it is dealing with the mysteries of human lives, we may not be able to predict what comes next. So an absence of a healthy network can often burden others. Lack of interest, dedication, alertness can hurt the other members of the staff as there is a collaborative work is necessary. In case of attitudes of carelessness or laziness in correct reporting and offering attention can risk the life of the ones given in trust. Usual 'adjustments' done for covering the mistakes from one's part can be heavily affecting both the life of the patient, and it is cruel as such adjustments sometime load the poor families even for the medicines that have not been used for them. It is a genuine effort for development and sincere encounter of oneself in order to place oneself properly into the dignity of a nurse.
While keeping the humanness and tenderness as the basic attitude, mind too requires strong base to act on. One has the right to safeguard personal uniqueness of oneself from which one may approach the patients concerned with absolute tenderness and humane heart. Compassion also calls for being alert and offering timely care. One needs to be able to discern the areas where one could be used in the name of service. There one must follow strictly a professional approach, absence of which can end up in one doing the works of everyone and some remain lazy. A strong mind is also required to form a disciplined life. It is necessary to train the mind to balance between work, leisure and rest. When one is missing it can affect the integration of our personality.
Just as one is a unique person, there is something that makes a nurse out of a person, the inner motivation to be a nurse which is much beyond a profession. Only with such a motivation there can be the healing transmitted. These form a spirituality of nursing, concerning oneself, other members of the staff, and the patients. When we consider this in the form of spirituality, here all who are present are highly sensitive. They are thinking, anxious, worried, tired, in pain... only if we can be attentive to this we can form in us the virtues of healing. We will realise that in every attempt here there is a prayer mode, perhaps a prayer that does not require words.
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