OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary (CSM) practical nursing students received a Blessing of the Hands as they embark on their clinical work.
“The ceremony is a beautiful reminder that their hands will become instruments of compassion, comfort, healing and hope,” said Shamra Lundeen, director of practical nursing. “As our students begin caring for patients during clinicals, they can carry that blessing with them and share it with every touch, interaction and act of care.”
Students in the Practical Nursing Certificate program who are beginning their clinical experiences participated in the ceremony on September 2.
“The Blessing of the Hands ceremony was a very meaningful experience for me because it reminded me that nursing is more than just a career—it is a calling to serve and care for others. Knowing that my hands were blessed before I begin my clinical journey made me feel like I am not walking into this profession alone,” said PNC student Anllely Perez.
Lundeen presided over the ceremony, first offering a blessing of the hands to nursing instructors since they walk alongside, teach and guide the students. Those instructors then blessed the hands of the students.
“I now carry the responsibility of using my hands to comfort, heal, support and care for my patients, while allowing God to work through me. I pray that God guides me to use them with compassion, patience, kindness and love for every person I have the opportunity to care for,” Perez said.
CSM began the Blessing of the Hands ceremony in 2021.
“It is a special opportunity to reflect on the privilege of being invited into some of the most vulnerable moments of another person’s life and the difference a nurse’s hands and presence can make,” Lundeen said.
CSM’s 12-month practical nursing certificate program provides coursework in basic nursing care, pharmacology, patient care, communication, safety and more. Students complete hands-on clinical experiences at healthcare sites throughout Omaha.
Graduates of the program are prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for practical nursing (NCLEX-PN). Practical nursing graduates at CSM have achieved a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-PN for the past five years.