My Journey as a Christian Nurse: Serving Christ Through Compassionate Healthcare
My Calling to Nursing
I chose the nursing profession because I wanted to contribute to improving people’s health, especially when they are in pain. Being a nurse gives me the opportunity to care for people during some of the moments when they need help the most.
Finding a Community That Shared My Faith
Immediately after nursing school, a friend shared a WhatsApp link with me that connected me to the Nurses and Midwives Christian Fellowship Uganda (NMCFU).
What attracted me to the fellowship was the community. I was searching for a place where I could grow alongside people who shared the same Christian values as I did while belonging to the same profession. I found that community within NMCFU.
Learning to Reflect Christ at Work
Being part of the fellowship has challenged me spiritually and professionally.
Every morning as I prepare to go to work, I ask myself one question: What would it look like if Christ were a female nurse in a school?
That question shapes how I serve my clients, communicate with them, and carry out my responsibilities every day.
One Conversation I'll Never Forget
One experience that has stayed with me involved a client who came to see me because of a mild headache.
As we talked and built rapport, I felt convicted to ask her a particular question. That led to a deeper conversation, and I discovered that what appeared to be a simple headache was connected to a painful childhood experience that continued to affect her emotionally.
I prayed with her, encouraged her to pray for herself and trust Jesus to redeem her story. After our conversation, she was much better. That experience reminded me that our patients are not only physically unwell but may also be carrying emotional pain that needs compassion and understanding.
Challenges of Being a Christian Healthcare Worker
One challenge we face as healthcare workers is the heavy workload, which can tempt us to become complacent. There are also times when colleagues leave much of the work to us.
The fellowship has encouraged me to look to Jesus for strength in such moments. Through its training and encouragement, I have learned to continually ask myself, “What would Jesus do?”
What Being Salt and Light Means to Me
To me, being salt and light means being Christlike, competent, communicating with wisdom, being courageous and serving others with compassion.
These are qualities I strive to demonstrate every day in my workplace.
My Encouragement to Fellow Nurses and Midwives
I encourage every nurse and midwife to serve clients as though you are serving Christ Himself. Look to Him for your reward rather than to people, because no person or government can truly repay your worth as a nurse.
The Bible passage that continually inspires me is Colossians 3:23–24:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Jolin Nabakiibi, a school nurse at The North Green School, wrote this article.