Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus 1
Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus: A Christ-Centered Philosophy of Nursing
Megan Scerbo BSN, RN, PCCN
School of Nursing, Liberty University
NURS502: Nursing Theory and Advanced Practice
Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus: A Christ-Centered Philosophy of Nursing
My journey into the nursing field was not one I had really planned for myself. I definitely
did not know that I wanted to be a nurse—my path into nursing was more of a leap of faith than
a plan. But looking back, I truly see God’s hand through it all. During my senior year of high
school, I was enrolled in an emergency medical technician (EMT) program and found myself
intrigued by the medical field. I was interested, but unsure of what my place in it would be. By
winter, I had been accepted to Liberty University—a decision rooted in my desire to attend a
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Christian institution that genuinely lived out its faith. I applied as “undecided,” not knowing
what God had in store or what my path would be, other than knowing I enjoyed learning about
healthcare and medical practice through earning my emergency medical technician license.
At freshman orientation, I realized college was too great an investment to wander.
Nursing seemed to “fit the bill,” so I wrote it down as my major—without fully grasping the rigor
of the program or the depth of the calling. What felt like a spontaneous choice was actually, I
believe now, divine direction. I think God had me write down nursing on the paper that day
because He knew it was what I was supposed to be. That was solidified by each professor He
placed in my path and the fact that I was becoming a nurse through Liberty. I know being there
and being taught by those professors is what shaped me into the nurse I am and molded my
personal philosophy of nursing, centered around my faith.
My Personal Philosophy of Nursing Practice
I consider my personal philosophy of nursing practice to be acting as the hands and feet
of Jesus. I see nursing as a sacred calling that reflects the heart of Christ, who modeled perfect
compassion, holistic healing, and unwavering advocacy throughout His ministry on earth. Jesus
didn’t just heal physical ailments—He saw the whole person. In Mark 1:40-42, we read the story
of Jesus healing a man with leprosy. He didn’t just restore the man’s body; He restored his
dignity and place in society, showing compassion by touching someone others feared (New
International Version, 2011). When He gave sight to the blind man in John 9:1-7, He didn’t just
heal physical blindness—He addressed the spiritual and social isolation the man endured. This
was holistic care that went beyond the surface of the disease. And when religious leaders
brought a woman caught in adultery before Him in John 8:1–11, Jesus stood between her and
her accusers, protecting her from condemnation and restoring her dignity. He challenged
injustice and hypocrisy, offering her both grace and a new beginning when He said, “Go now and
leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). This was advocacy in its purest form.
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Beyond these examples, Jesus consistently stood up for the marginalized, fed the hungry,
and defended the vulnerable. These moments throughout His ministry were expressions of
God’s love in action. As a nurse, there is much to glean and apply from Jesus’ ministry, and I
strive to embody these same principles: to be present in suffering, to care for the whole person,
and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
As a student, I didn’t enter the nursing profession with a clear understanding of what it
truly meant to be a nurse. But God, in His wisdom, placed me at the right school, with the right
professors—people who didn’t just teach me clinical skills, but modeled Christ-like care. They
showed me that nursing wasn’t just about treating illness—it was about ministering to people.
They taught me that every patient encounter was an opportunity to reflect the love of Jesus, to
be His hands and feet in moments of suffering, healing, and hope. This formed my framework of
nursing as a call to be Jesus’ hands and feet. To me, that is lived out through the lenses of
compassion, holistic care, and advocacy—not just as professional ideals, but as spiritual
disciplines.
My desire as a nurse has always been centered around offering a compassionate
presence, caring for the whole person, and advocating for my patients to receive the best care
that fits their personal needs. Nursing is not just my career—it is my calling, my ministry, and
often my daily act of worship.
Compassion: The Heartbeat of Nursing
Compassion can easily be described as the heartbeat of nursing. As a nurse, we often
enter into our patients' suffering, offering them empathy and grace. Jesus offered this kind of
compassion to Mary and Martha in John 11:35 when He wept with them over Lazarus. Even
though He knew He was going to raise him from the dead, He did not shy away from mourning
the loss with them (New International Version (2011). Compassion in nursing is not just feeling
for someone—it’s acting in that love, even when it’s inconvenient or difficult.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was assigned to care for a man suffering from COVID
whose wife was also hospitalized with it— at a different hospital over an hour away— due to
her acuity and our hospital being at capacity. Over the course of three shifts, I listened as he
shared stories of their life and the heartbreak of knowing she was unlikely to survive this. On
the morning of my third shift with him, he told me—with a trembling voice—that his wife’s care
team had spoken with him, and they collectively had decided to terminally extubate her. He
would be saying goodbye shortly over the phone, alone, in isolation.
In that moment, I knew God had placed me there for a reason. I asked if he wanted
company during this extremely difficult moment, and he nodded. I stayed with him before,
during, and after the emotionally heavy phone call. Despite my fear of the disease and the
recommendation to be fully suited in PPE, I decided to remove my gloves—because this man
didn’t need to feel another person’s touch. I held his hand as he said goodbye to the love of his
life. We wept together. We sat in silence. And a little while after the call, I asked if I could pray
with him. He said yes. I prayed aloud for peace, for strength, and for God’s presence to surround
him. That was compassion: not fixing, not rushing, just being present.
Holistic Care: Healing Beyond the Physical
Just as compassion calls us to be present in suffering, holistic care challenges us to see
beyond the physical, and is another major component of my personal philosophy. It is of utmost
importance for us as nurses to see our patients as more than just a diagnosis, and to treat them
as such. We need to recognize more than their physical needs, but also their emotional,
spiritual, and relational needs too. In that same encounter, my patient wasn’t just battling
COVID—he was grieving, afraid, and spiritually broken. His healing couldn’t come from
medication alone. He needed someone to acknowledge his pain, to honor his love for his wife,
and to sit with him in his sorrow.
By offering my presence, my time, my prayer, and my bare hand, I was caring for his
spirit. I wasn’t just helping to treat his virus—I was ministering to a soul. Jesus didn’t just heal
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bodies—He restored identities. In Mark 5:21-34, He healed the woman with the issue of blood
and called her “daughter,” affirming her worth. That’s the kind of nurse I strive to be, one where
the philosophy of caring for the whole person so deeply embedded in me that it is simply
impossible for me to care for a patient any other way.
Advocacy: A Voice for the Vulnerable
The last component of nursing that speaks deeply to me is advocacy, which is truly one
of the cornerstones of nursing. Often, as nurses, we are the ones standing in the gap for those
who cannot speak for themselves. We are the ones ensuring that every patient’s voice is heard,
that their dignity is upheld, and that their care is personalized. Scripture calls us to this kind of
work: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the poor and
needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). As mentioned earlier, one of Jesus’ most profound advocacy
moments was his stepping up for the adulterous woman. The way He challenged injustice,
silenced hypocrisy, and gave her a path forward is such a perfect example of advocacy in action.
Throughout my nursing career, I’ve found myself in moments that remind me of that
story—times when I had to speak up, escalate concerns, and push through opposition to ensure
my patients received the care they deserved. Advocacy often meant being uncomfortable:
questioning decisions, challenging systems, and standing firm even when I felt hesitation. These
weren’t just professional duties—they were spiritual convictions. I knew if I remained silent in
those moments, it could mean that I played a role in costing someone safety, comfort, or
dignity, and that would be denying a huge part of who I am as a nurse.
Now, as I’ve transitioned from bedside nursing into leadership, I’ve come to see advocacy
through a broader lens. I no longer advocate just for patients—I advocate for the nurses who
care for them. I listen intentionally when they voice concerns about a broken system, a delayed
order, or a patient need that’s being overlooked. I take their concerns seriously, push for change,
and help them find solutions. Advocacy in leadership means creating space for others to be
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heard and empowered. It’s still about protecting the vulnerable—only now, I do it by equipping
and supporting the caregivers themselves.
Advocacy, whether at the bedside or in the boardroom, is a daily act of justice, love, and
faith, and is one of the clearest ways I live out my nursing philosophy. Together, the principles of
compassion, holistic care, and advocacy form the foundation of my nursing practice and guide
me in how I can live out being the hands and feet of Christ.
Conclusion
Looking back at that moment where I sat with that grieving husband saying goodbye to
his wife, I see it as a defining one in my nursing journey. It encapsulated almost everything I
believe nursing is: being the hands and feet of Jesus, offering compassionate presence, and
providing holistic care that honors the whole person – mind, body, and soul.
I really never planned to be a nurse, but I became one because God called me, and He
continues to shape me as I continue in this career path of ministry through nursing. My
philosophy goes beyond the words written here—it’s lived out in the quiet, sacred spaces where
I have seen and continue to see healing happen far beyond the limitations of medicine.
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References
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan.
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/
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