Fragile

Volume 24, Number 3 July-September 2007

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GOING DEEPER

Personal or group study ideas.
Read the articles, choose your questions!

small box Children With Preventable Conditions
Read Coakley pp. 126-132.
a. Have you cared for a child with FAS or some other preventable birth defect? What emotions surfaced? What role does God's sovereignty play in this situation?
b. Discuss ways you can implement preconception risk factor interventions as you educate women.

small box Caring for Kids at School:
Read Rubingh pp. 148-151 and Haynie, et. al, pp. 152-154.
a. What practical interventions can be drawn from these articles?
b. Have you seen a child or family slip through the cracks? How did you feel? How did you respond?
c. Describe anything you may do differently if faced with a similar situation.
d. Do you know a school nurse? How might you encourage him or her today?

small box Caring for Abused Children:
Read Blottner p. 159.
a. Have you cared for a child that's been abused? Describe how you felt in that situation. What was most difficult? How did you maintain a professional demeanor?
b. Read Micah 6:8; Mark 10:13-15; Luke 17:1-3.What is Jesus' response toward children? What does he say about those who injure children?

small box Quiet Caring:
Read Diggins, p. 165.
a. Share a time when you did not know what to say to a patient or family in your care.
b. How can being quiet provide greater care than speaking? How do you know when to be still?
c. Read Matthew 5:3-8.What are the implications for providing spiritual care to those whom you serve? How would spiritual care be demonstrated to the poor in spirit or those who mourn?

122 A Revolutionary Concept - Editorial

126 Preventable Birth Defects: A Golden Teaching Opportunity
Linda N. Coakley

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the U.S. Nurses are in a strategic position to educate about FAS and other common, preventable birth defects.

135 Hospitalized Kids: Spiritual Care at Their Level
Genie Stafford Ford

Do you know how to assess a child's spiritual development?

141 Children With Disabilities: Choosing the Road of Hope
Stephanie Goldberg

After learning her son had Type I spinal muscular atrophy, this mom decided to trust God and his Word. Now a nurse case manager, she offers insights on helping families of disabled children.

148 School Nursing: More Than Just Band-Aids
Rachel Rubingh

Discover the true nature of school nursing...and God's heart for kids.

152 Home Sickness: No Place to Call Home
Lisa Haynie, Susan Lofton, Gaye Ragland,Anne Norwood

Homeless children are more often in poor health than children who are not homeless; they are hungry twice as often. These nurses are doing something about this at their inner-city school clinic.

Missions

156 Universal Aspects of Pediatric Nursing
Joycelyne Fleury-Baby

A primary focus of nursing worldwide is client and family well-being. Yet sometimes, regardless of culture, when nurses work under stress we tend to forget the same things.

159 The Washing of the Feet
Christina Pacileo Blottner

Washing the feet of strangers in two very different settings speaks of our mission as nurses.

Departments

125 Etc.

Christian Ethics

161 Honoring the Briefest of Lives
Susan A. Salladay

Called to Teach

163 A Balanced Life
Sandra L. Jamison

Practicing

164 Hope for Parents of Newborns with Disabilities
Susan E. Fleming

FAQs in Spiritual Care

165 Can Caring Spiritually Mean Remaining Quiet?
Kristene Diggins

166 Resources - New Spiritual Care Workbook, Internet Resources

172 PulseBeats - ADHD, Adoption Education, Smoke-Free Movies?, Diabetes at School