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In the New Testament, the apostle Paul mentions working as a tentmaker to provide for his financial needs while also spreading the good news of the gospel, so Meerdink followed Paul\u2019s example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI taught Acute Medical Surgical Nursing and Critical Care Nursing. I also managed the Clinical Skills practice lab. Our program focused on teaching Western nursing \u2014 which is quite a bit different than Chinese nursing \u2014 with the goal that our students would be able to work as nurses in international health care settings,\u201d Meerdink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though originally from Vermont, after 11 academic years serving in China, Meerdink moved to Shelbyville, where her immediate family \u2014 previously scattered across several states \u2014 had settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meerdink returned to her first loves \u2014 nursing and the quick-paced setting of the intensive care unit. For the last 10 years, she has worked in the critical care unit at Vanderbilt-Bedford Hospital. \u201cWhen our patients arrive on our unit, they are very sick and need a variety of interventions. It\u2019s a very busy time. Sometimes, within hours of them being admitted, we can see improvement in how they are feeling, and some are able to leave in a day or two! For the patients that are there longer, there is the joy of getting to know them and their families and the privilege of helping them during this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients receive one-on-one attention, as everyone is visible from the nurses\u2019 station perched in the center. \u201cSome days, we run from morning to night. Patients are very sick, and ten or more things need to be done at one time, and you can\u2019t do it alone. As a team, we can care for our patients the way they need to be cared for. Everyone pitches in to help with whatever needs to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the 6:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. schedule becomes physically and emotionally taxing, or life-altering decisions must be made, Meerdink relies on prayer and the \u201cGolden Rule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,\u2019 says it best. Many times, I will ask myself, \u2018If my mother, father, sister, or brother were in this patient\u2019s place, what would I want done?\u2019 This helps guide what I do and how I do it. Driving to work, I am praying that the Lord will help me be able to stay calm, think clearly, and communicate well so that I can be the nurse my patients need that day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with the best of care, Meerdink and nurses like her aren\u2019t miracle workers. \u201cWe can\u2019t fix everything. We can\u2019t save everyone. Nursing can be very rewarding, and we have the opportunity to make a difference for people on one of the worst days of their lives. But it is very hard. Taking care of patients involves not just their physical health but also their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. We have had the privilege of taking care of family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. I think these close relationships have allowed deeper interactions with both our patients and families and have allowed us to give more complete care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A critically ill patient arrived recently who needed extensive care at Vanderbilt-Bedford Hospital. Though his recovery over the next month was remarkable, and he became a \u201cwalking miracle,\u201d Meerdink said, \u201cIt was a hard fight for him to get better. Several months later, a gentleman who looked like any other visitor walked onto the unit. \u2018Do you remember me?\u2019 he said. It was our patient who had had a full recovery and was doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What began as a child\u2019s admiration for a Scholastic book based on the life of Florence Nightingale inspired a lifelong journey for Beth Meerdink \u2014 spanning continents, classrooms, and critical care units \u2014 demonstrating how each of our lives can awaken greater aspirations in the lives of those around us. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BETH MEERDINK tenderly cradled her treasured copy of \u201cThe Lady With the Lamp: The story of Florence Nightingale\u201d and audibly repeated Nightingale\u2019s call to action: \u201cI will change all this, if it takes me a lifetime.\u201d Each word echoed deeply within Meerdink\u2019s heart. This childhood memory, along with her calling that now spans 27 years, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":24572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/shelbyville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/4-9-1024x683.jpg\")
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