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My Story: An Act of Faith
by Lani Hollenbeck, BSN, RN, BC
As part of the “My Story” series, Lani Hollenbeck, RN, shares how she uses her faith in action to provide nursing and education services to adults and children.
One of the programs I have been involved in is the Hope Fellowship women’s group, in Ramsey, MN, as a special topics small group leader. As a group, we decided to learn more about underserved population groups. With my background in social work, I researched and presented workshops on the topic of homelessness and poverty in the Twin Cities, a subject close to my heart. The group met on several occasions to review articles and statistics, as well as spending time in scripture and prayer. The church family was able to review the same study materials and information during worship time on Sundays.
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After participating in the workshops, group members and their families were invited to join in service projects at several shelters, including Marie Sandvik Center, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. These shelters all focus on providing for the material and spiritual needs of the poor living in the inner city. The group spent time collecting and serving meals, providing personal care items, distributing Bibles, and visiting with individuals at the shelters. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to meet with residents of the shelter and share God’s love through conversation and time spent in prayer.
Due to the success of the visits, many of Hope’s families and youth have returned on multiple occasions to spend time in service to others at the shelters, looking for additional ways in which to minister to people through “loving others,” as part of the church’s mission statement.
The second project I am involved in is health teaching for preschool children at St. John’s in Nowthen, MN. I have met with preschool classes to discuss what it is like to be a children’s nurse. I gave the students hands-on experience with different pieces of equipment that a nurse would use in caring for a patient. I emphasized the importance of healthy eating, exercise and hand washing. Many of the children shared their own personal experiences of “going to the doctor” and “getting a shot,” and examples of how they stay healthy. String cheese, carrots and apples seem to be their favorite snacks. They were able to demonstrate how to carefully cover their sneezes, sing two times while washing their hands, and describe times when they should wash their hands.
Volunteer work has enhanced my professional practice and perspective as a registered nurse by recognizing the importance of listening and compassion as equal to clinical assessment skills when caring for families and their children. The therapeutic use of self can enhance families’ perception of their visit to the hospital, foster the dynamics of a quality versus a poor outcome, and improve their overall experience. As a result of spending more time volunteering, I have come to realize that as individuals, even though our assets and strengths may be vastly different, we all rely on our family history, culture, coping skills and resilience when we experience illness and seek treatment.
Lani Hollenbeck, BSN, RN, BC, is a staff nurse in Special Diagnostics. Lani is seeking to learn more about caring for underserved population groups by attending the Master’s program in Transcultural Community Nursing at Augsburg College in 2008.
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