Power of Nursing Course Offers Nurses an Opportunity to Reconnect With Their Calling and Find Meaning in a Life of Service

Nursing is a profession that requires not only knowledge and technical skills but also a deep sense of compassion and a genuine desire to serve others. However, in the fast-paced and demanding healthcare environment, nurses often find themselves disconnected from their initial calling and overwhelmed by the daily challenges they face. To help nursing students and graduate nurses reconnect with one’s calling and find meaning in a life of service, RISHI at Pure Healthcare is honored and privileged to offer the Power of NursingTM , a 15-hour elective course.

The Power of Nursing course was adapted from The Healer’s ArtTM, a program for medical students designed by Dr. Rachel Remen in 1991. In 2008, Remen, nursing leaders, and nursing educators modified the Healer’s Art to meet the unique professional formation and holistic learning needs of nursing students, thus creating The Power of Nursing: Embracing the Healer’s Art.

Based on the Discovery Model of Learning consisting of five 3-hour sessions, each session of the Power of Nursing includes large and small group experiences. These experiences utilize self-exploration and self-trust exercises to assist students in clarifying core values and strategies to support holistic self-care and a close personal relationship with caring and healing in nursing.

The Power of Nursing curriculum is committed to the exploration of healing and service intention, boundary work, finding and maintaining one’s voice, and owning and engaging with personal power and courage. Woven throughout the course are tools that foster authentic community, respect, generous listening, presence, and healing. Participant comments include:

• “I feel more prepared for any moral distress or burnout I might confront in the future. I know it will be hard, but I have tools that I could use now.” 
• “I am genuinely awed by how the one thing that I did not think would be taught would be hidden in an elective. Reflecting on our soul, heart and purpose, this space allows us to just be us, and I find that so beautiful.” 

Suzanne Scheller, MS, RN, CNE, associate clinical professor at Texas Woman’s University Houston Campus College of Nursing, is the director of RISHI’s Power of Nursing program at Pure Healthcare in Dayton, Ohio. She received the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Bronze Medalist Award from the Good Samaritan Foundation, the Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing 2021 Cass Award in Teaching Excellence, and the Texas Woman’s University 2022 Innovation in Academia Award recognizing the positive impact her work in interprofessional education and Power of Nursing have made in nursing education at Texas Woman’s University.

She has been instrumental in reaching out to nurse educators encouraging implementation of the Power of Nursing in nursing programs throughout the United States. In May, she traveled to Vietnam where she presented this unique program to several nursing institutions. Working closely with faculty at the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston and Texas Woman’s University honor students, her research focus is on capturing the impact of Power of Nursing on students’ feelings of connectedness, empathy, caring efficacy, and professional identity. She can be reached at SScheller@PureHealthcare.org or 713.794.2144.

To implement the Power of Nursing, please apply for the 2023 Power of Nursing & The Healer’s Art Faculty Development Workshop Training – 2023 Power of Nursing by clicking here.