Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing [Paperback]

Judith Allen Shelly (Author), Arlene B. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 2006

Nursing keeps changing. The role of the nurse grew out of a Christian understanding of the human person as created in the image of God, and viewed the body as a living unity and the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 6:19). Contemporary nursing, however, is increasingly characterized by a diminished understanding of personhood. The impact on patient care has proven confusing and discouraging to many nurses. In the newly revised and expanded Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing, Judith Allen Shelly and Arlene B. Miller define nursing for today based on a historically and theologically grounded understanding of the nurse's call: Nursing is a ministry of compassionate care for the whole person, in response to God's grace toward a sinful world, which aims to foster optimum health (shalom) and bring comfort in suffering and death for anyone in need. Called to Care asserts that nursing is a vocation, giving nurses a framework for understanding their mission and living out their calling: service to God through caring for others.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the increasingly complex and challenging world of health care a nurse's faith can be a necessary point of reference, to avoid being just swept along in the tide of change. This book can assist quicker development of a sufficiently mature and thought-through Christian faith to enable a nurse to cope explicitly with the challenges of life, suffering, death and an unending succession of new ethical issues; and to support others in doing so. The original biblically well-referenced discussion of nursing and concepts relevant to it, illustrated by nursing stories, gives a coherent Christian perspective on nursing. The discussion questions and points for further thinking and reflection added in the second edition highlight its relevance and application in practice. Many could usefully be raised in a group of nurses or students with a variety of faiths or none. The purpose, objectives and key words for each chapter also help to focus thought and learning.This book is a welcome resource." (Pat Ashworth, former senior lecturer in nursing, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland )

"What a gift Judy Shelly and Arlene Miller have given us by producing a second edition of Called to Care. While the core Christian message has not changed since the first edition, the world within and beyond health care certainly has--and with it, the concrete implications of a Christian worldview. Even those familiar with the original edition will want to read the latest work of these two champions of caring with heart and mind." (John F. Kilner, Ph.D., Professor of Bioethics and Contemporary Culture, and Director of Bioethics Programs, Trinity International University )

"Courageous nurses will find this new edition an essential companion that lights the way in practice and academic settings influenced by modern and postmodern worldviews." (Diane Elliott-Lee, R.N., M.S.N., coauthor of Courage: The Backbone of Leadership )

"To my mind, the first edition of Called to Care has become a classic for Christian nurses. Now with its second edition, this volume becomes even more suitable for educational purposes. Its own objectives and sources, and the nursing theories and worldviews that the authors interact with, have been made more explicit. Thus, nurses and nursing students alike will get a better grasp of both underpinnings and consequences of the discussions Miller and Shelly so clearly present. At the same time, the book offers a valid challenge to those who propose to interpret notions like 'good nursing care' from the perspective of different worldviews. Shelly and Miller show a broad and deep knowledge of the literature, and make a well-argued case for the strengths and weaknesses in many trends in nursing theory and practice. For those who want to interact with what the Christian tradition of nursing looks like today, Called to Care is as good a starting point as any." (Bart Cusveller, Associate Professor of Nursing and Nursing Ethics, Christian University for Higher Professional Education, Ede, The Netherlands )

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic; 02 edition (January 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083082765X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830827657
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reaffirms my reason to be a nurse and the foundations of the profession., February 13, 2006

By 

Diane Elliott-lee "RN, MSN" (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing (Paperback)

This book is a must read for nurses and other health care professionals who want to reaffirm the meaning and purpose of their work as they are called to care by God. Shelly and Miller have expanded on the first edition by adding a purpose and objectives for each chapter, discussion questions, and case studies. In addition there are charts and tables comparing worldviews and nursing theories, detailing healing accounts in the New Testament, and contrasting the views on hope in suffering from various religions. Rich story telling brings authenticity and insight to patient care and student-faculty examples. Finally, we hear the inspiring voices of six Christian nursing leaders they share their visions for the future of nursing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful, inspirational and scholarly read!, May 29, 2006

By 

Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner "PhD, RN, Editor, J... (Wichita, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing (Paperback)

Shelly and Miller have struck a chord in the heart of nursing with their improved 2nd edition of Called to Care. Their overview of the history of nursing and caring helps us understand how we got to where we are today, while their presentations on person, the environment, health as shalom, and nursing show us where we need to go in the future. Their explanation of a Christian worldview for nursing is both simple and deeply profound. I found myself cheering inside saying, "Yes, that's what nursing is about! That's why I'm a nurse!" This is a great book for nurses at the bedside, undergraduate and graduate students in nursing, nurse educators and nurse researchers alike.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Every Christian Nurse..., December 15, 2009

By 

Lyndon Unger "Armchair Theologian" (Vancouver, British Columbia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing (Paperback)

If one is training to be a nurse these days, one cannot escape the influx of ideology from the alternative medicine crowd (which is really Hindu/Buddhist thought masquerading behind western terminology). If one is a Christian, one may encounter Applied Kinesiology, Reiki, Qi Gong, Touch for Health, etc. and believe the sales pitch that comes with it ("there's nothing spiritual here..." or "you're manipulating biomagnetic energy" or "plenty of Christians do this...").

If the Bible is true though, and a Christian starts experimenting with pagan (i.e. Buddhist/Hindu) divination/magik, then partaking in a majority of the practices of alternative medicine is directly forbidden in the scripture. That means that if you're a nurse, and you're sucked into practicing healing touch, Reiki, Applied Kinesiology, etc., you may be being sucked into stuff that is inherently sinful and opening a horribly dangerous door.

This book is fantastic for clarifying the underlying ideologies and theology between western and eastern medicine. The authors clear up what "biblical spirituality" is, the nature of reality (all is not 'one'), the foolishness of 'general spirituality', the whole idea that the body has innate power to heal itself (how any nurse can believe that the doctor is actually doing nothing and the body is actually doing all the healing is beyond me...), the (un)reality of chi, and the relationship of God to health and healing.

"Called to Care" lays down a biblical worldview for nursing in it's historic context; that of Christians caring for the sick with the compassion of Christ, fueled by biblical theology that sees the image of God in all people.

It's a great book that is simply honest about what the Bible says about all the various issues associated with mercy ministry, care and nursing while taking an honest look at the modern psuedo-medicine and psuedo-spirituality that is so popular in the undiscerning west. Just because something is new does not mean it's deep or true. Some of the stupidest ideas have been around the longest, and Christians are seemingly chronic suckers. If you're a nurse, have been exposed to some strange 'healing' practices and have questions about why they sound fishy, this is a GREAT place to start.

Definitely a high recommend for anyone who's a Christian and is in health care.