First and foremost a Christian Science nurse is a Christian Scientist—a Christian Scientist who has chosen nursing as a sacred ministry. So what is a Christian Scientist? Mrs. Eddy has given a precise and definite answer. She says: "A real Christian Scientist is a marvel, a miracle in the universe of mortal mind. With selfless love, he inscribes on the heart of humanity and transcribes on the page of reality the living, palpable presence—the might and majesty!—of goodness." Miscellaneous Writings, p. 294 What a challenge for a Christian Science nurse—or any Christian Scientist—to measure up to that standard!
Yet mustn't this be the basis of qualifying to be a Christian Science nurse—the training to be "a real Christian Scientist"? And what a difference it makes to establish this priority before embarking on what is generally thought of as "nurses training."
Isn't this in accord with what Mrs. Eddy sets forth in Science and Health as the standard for nursing? In the chapter "Christian Science Practice" under the marginal heading "Aids in sickness," we read: "An ill-tempered, complaining, or deceitful person should not be a nurse. The nurse should be cheerful, orderly, punctual, patient, full of faith,—receptive to Truth and Love." Science and Health p. 395 (One might be tempted to ask, like the small boy scout who had just heard for the first time the list of a scout's qualities, "All at once?")
