"WHAT does a Christian Science nurse do?" is a question often asked, even by students of Christian Science. In accord with Mary Baker Eddy's teaching in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the Christian Science nurse has a twofold task to perform. She needs to minister skillfully to the patient. The meeting of human needs—keeping the body clean, comfortable, and properly nourished —is assurance to the patient of Love's care. And the nurse also needs to keep the atmosphere spiritually pure by consistently lifting her thought from material beliefs to the spiritual understanding of existence.
In her task of maintaining an atmosphere of spiritual purity, the nurse recognizes that she herself must abide in the consciousness of Life, Truth, and Love, even while her hands may be attending to human needs. The spiritual understanding of God as All-in-all, which she has gained through a thorough study of the Bible and Science and Health, enables her to say and do the right thing at the right time.
A Christian Science nurse knows the necessity for obedience to God and by her own example encourages the patient and inspires obedience. She expresses gratitude generously, for she understands that gratitude for the good already at hand is the means of perpetuating and multiplying it. Gratitude and joy, antidoting mental tension, enable the flow of good to be free and harmonious. Christ Jesus said (Matt.13: 12), "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."
