Blessed Hands, Healing Hearts: Nursing Students Embrace Their Calling

A BHSU faculty member anoints a nursing student’s hands during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony.

On Monday, October 6, 2025, students in the Nursing program at Baptist Health Sciences University (BHSU) participated in a heartfelt Blessing of the Hands ceremony. As they prepare to enter their clinical rotations, students gathered for a moment of spiritual reflection and anointing. The event offered a meaningful pause—an opportunity to reconnect with the deeper purpose of their calling to patient care.

The Blessing of the Hands marks more than a ceremonial milestone. It is a sacred rite of passage. For these future radiographers, it represents a pivotal moment of transition from classroom learning to hands-on healing. It is a chance to reflect on the privilege and responsibility of caring for individuals during some of life’s most vulnerable moments.

Reflections from the Heart

During the ceremony, students were led in heartfelt prayer by Rusty Woods, Director of Faith Integration & Service, expressing gratitude, faith, and a desire for divine guidance as they begin their clinical journeys. Their reflections spoke to both the challenges and sacredness of their calling:

  • Strength to fulfill their calling to serve others
  • God’s continued guidance and direction
  • Protection and covering for friends and family
  • Wisdom and grace to deliver both good and difficult news
  • Endurance and courage through demanding days
  • A heart continually fueled by the desire to heal

Each prayer served as a powerful reminder that nursing is not only a profession but also a ministry—one rooted in compassion, purpose, and faith.

A Purpose-Driven Journey

As these students step into their clinical environments, they carry more than just technical knowledge. They carry compassion, faith, and a commitment to dignity in care. The Blessing of the Hands serves as a powerful reminder that their work is both purposeful and sacred.

In a world in need of healing, these students are preparing not only to treat but to touch lives with empathy, grace, and respect.

  • A BHSU faculty member holds a nursing student’s hands during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony.
  • A faculty member anoints a BHSU nursing student’s hands during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony.
  • A nursing student bows in prayer as a faculty member blesses her hands during the ceremony.
  • A nursing student closes her eyes in prayer as her hands are blessed during the ceremony.
  • A BHSU nursing student receives anointing during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony.
  • A BHSU nursing student bows her head as her hands are blessed during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony.

Students in the Nursing program at Baptist Health Sciences University participated in a heartfelt Blessing of the Hands ceremony.