It is my purpose this morning to discuss with you informally some important features of nursing education. My thoughts have been directed into this channel because of contacts I have made in the field and some trends I have noticed which cause me some concern. May I direct your attention to several texts, reading first from Hebrews 12:I, 2.
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith ; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
These verses are very familiar to us, but they feature the thought that has been running through my mind. You recall that the preceding chapter names outstanding men of faith, as recorded in the Old Testament, and makes mention of some of their achievements and mighty works for God. The writer of this epistle desires to inspire us to greater action by referring to these characters as spectators in the amphitheater, who are observing us as we run the Christian race. Several times in the writings of the apostle Paul, he makes reference to the Olympic games—an event that was well known in those times. So the writer uses the metaphor here, making it apply equally to our day.
In this figure we become the contestants in a foot race. This cloud of witnesses—these mighty men of faith—are our spectators watching the contest. We are admonished, in this Christian race, to strip off and fling aside sin, which is here likened to the folds of a garment clinging closely about the limbs, that we may run with patient endurance the race set before us. You have never seen an athlete on the running track wearing a long flowing bathrobe. That would be absurd, but no more so than to attempt to run successfully the race of life, bound about by the encumbrances of sin that entangle our feet.
Looking unto Jesus ! These words bring into focus the central objective of this study, and indeed all our thinking. A rather literal translation of this expression would be, "looking away from every other object we fix our gaze upon Jesus, our forerunner."
A few years ago the world's fastest runner at that time, lost a foot race on a track in Southern California simply because he took his eyes off the goal post long enough to look around to see his closest competitor. In that moment of distraction and delay, his rival passed him and won the race. Just so it may be in life's race; some distraction that causes us to take our eyes off Jesus may so entangle us that we shall lose the winner crown.
Now, dear fellow workers, using this same figure in considering our immediate problem, let us look well to the goals and objectives set before us relative to nursing education. We can never win or be truly successful—we can never win this educational race if you please—with our vision fixed on professional attainments, monetary gains, or worldly acclaim. We are to cast aside all that would entangle or distract or becloud our vision. Let us look unto Jesus in the matter of the commission which He has given us—the goal which we as medical missionary workers are seeking to attain.
I am really not anxiously concerned about our schools of nursing as relates to their professional standards. I feel that our denominational schools of nursing are in a very desirable position. During this institute we shall give study to the school of nursing curriculum; yet I hardly think any major changes will be made in the courses of study.
I am concerned, however, about our schools of nursing from the point of view of denominational objectives and ideals. A large responsibility rests upon our sanitariums in training missionary nurses. We have an obligation to discharge in behalf of the young people who come to us for training. My acquaintance with denominational needs and my contacts with both the field and the product of our schools lead me to say that our attention and that of our associates needs to be very earnestly focused on the ideals and objectives for which our schools of nursing were established.
If we fail to influence the thinking of the young men and women who come to us, if we do not create the atmosphere which will mold their ideals and clarify and enlarge their vision, if we fail to so thoroughly indoctrinate and inoculate these students with the basic principles of devotion for the uplift of humanity, that they fail to become possessed of the desire to give themselves to the work of God on earth, pray tell where then will our students become possessors of these ideals?
The gratifying results of a clear vision of objectives and a fixed purpose was seen in the experience of Moses, of whom it was said, "He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." To me this statement means that Moses lost sight of those things which were in the immediate foreground, and there were some things there to be reckoned with, weren't there? It became necessary for Moses to choose between "Him who is invisible" and the pleasures of this life—wealth, position, authority, fame. What enabled him to make the decision he did? It was what he saw ! It was that vision he had caught and held in central focus that enabled him to see beyond the foreground of position, wealth, and pleasure, and to hold to that which he saw in the background—actually the invisible. He saw that the eternal values of the kingdom of heaven were in no sense comparable to the fleeting, transient things of the land of Egypt.
As leaders in nursing education, we have the responsibility of so guiding the student nurse that she, too, will "endure as seeing Him who is invisible." The influences and atmosphere surrounding our student bodies must be such as to lead them to fix their vision, not on the foreground of salary, professional attainments, position, or pleasure, but upon the hidden eternal values related to the service of humanity and to the perfection of personal godliness. These words from "Steps to Christ" seem pertinent to our subject :
"Our Saviour's joy was in the uplifting and redemption of fallen men. For this He counted not His life dear unto Himself, but endured the cross, despising the shame. . . . That which selfish hearts would regard as humiliating service, ministering to those who are wretched and in every way inferior in character and rank, is the work of sinless angels. The spirit of Christ's self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades heaven, and is the very essence of its bliss. This is the spirit that Christ's followers will possess, the work that they will do. . .
"The spirit of Christ in the heart is like a spring in the desert, flowing to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the water of life,
"Love to Jesus will be manifested in a desire to work as He worked, for the blessing and uplifting of humanity."—Pages 77, 78.
I am anxious, therefore, that we redouble our efforts to make the medical missionary objectives of the denominational medical program an integral part of the school of nursing curriculum. I believe this subject deserves our very earnest study. May God bless each of you in your efforts to conform our nursing education to the "pattern" shown us. Student nurses who are thus thoroughly indoctrinated and whose hearts are charged with missionary zeal will go forth from our sanitarium schools to let their light shine to the blessing of body, mind, and soul of all 'who come within their sphere of influence.
The attainment of such objectives in our education of the nurse will in turn make available a larger number of earnest, devoted young people to occupy positions of trust in our institutions and to serve as the "Lord's helping hand" in medical missionary lines wherever needed.
