A Unique Privilege

This morning, when I went in to meet my patient, it was obvious my patient was still processing the accident he'd be in the day before (there had been a casualty in the other car). He clearly needed to talk about it. That's what's wonderful about being a nursing student...you get to spend TIME with your patients and hear their stories. So I let him talk while I gave him my full attention. Through his description of the accident, it became very apparent to me that the man was a man of faith and probably a Christian. To be sure, I asked a few questions to assess that my instincts were correct (asking whether he had a faith community, etc) and then was able to smile and say "I'm a believer too, would you like for me to pray with you?" He got this very relieved/contented look on his face (even with 10/10 pain rating) and he extended his hand toward me, I grabbed it and we prayed together. It was such a wonderful experience! An experience I've been looking forward to since I started nursing school. What a privilege it is to pray for a patient--a stranger--and yet not a stranger, but a Brother in Christ!  A unique privilege for sure.