“Blessing of the Hands” — honoring nurses

Suggestions for congregations and church leaders

If you plan to use this service during or near National Nurses Week:

• Learn if your state or local nurses association is planning anything to commemorate National Nurses Week and if so, offer to work with them.  If not, begin early encouraging them to plan for next year.
• Designate the Sunday before or the Sunday after National Nurses Week for a special service to focus on health and healing. In addition to incorporating a “Blessing of the Hands” other aspects of a healing service might be added.
• Offer to come to any local health care facility in your community and ask permission to hold a brief interfaith “Blessing of the Hands” during shift change (there will be two or three during the 24-hour day).
• If your congregation has a parish or faith community or congregational nurse, incorporate into the “Blessing of the Hands” a special recognition of the nurses’ service to the congregation and hold a simple thank you reception sometime during the day.
• If your congregation is planning a special service honoring nurses, invite nurses from your community to be a part of the service!  It will be a gift to them as well.

Other use of these celebrations

• Some congregations expand the Blessing of the Hands to incorporate other healing ministries or helping professions as well as nurses, physicians, social workers, other health professionals and some even include a separate recognition for caregivers.