Baptist nurses assist in emergency during annual meeting

Members of the Baptist Nursing Fellowship (BNF) participating in the recent annual meeting of Alabama Baptists never anticipated they would do more than talk with messengers about their organization.
   
But when an Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery, member fell seriously ill during convention activities, they put their words into action — demonstrating the importance of a ministry like this.
   
A longtime and active member of Eastmont, Otis Reaves experienced severe respiratory distress just after lunch Nov. 16.
   
Even though he had only been out of the hospital for less than 12 hours, he arrived at church that morning ready to serve.
   
But before he could fully participate in the experience, he needed specific assistance.
   
And the nurses from BNF were ready to respond. BNF members staffed the first aid room for the convention as well as the BNF booth in the exhibit hall.
BNF member Norma Underwood, a member of York Terrace Baptist Church, Sheffield, was called out from the first aid room as 911 was called.
   
“It was scary at first,” she said. “We didn’t know if he would make it or not.
   
“We got the other nurses, and we went to work,” said Underwood, a retired nurse.
   
“He was unresponsive at first. He had a weak pulse and a weak blood pressure. Finally he came around,” she said, noting they did not have to perform CPR.
   
“I was thankful that I had the training and could do it,” Underwood said. “It made us all reflect on why we went into nursing in the first place.”
   
Underwood said the BNF booth offered educational tips on how to prepare churches for emergencies such as this.
   
“I hope this experience made a difference with churches about what they need to do,” she said, noting all churches should have an emergency plan and have people trained to do CPR for all age groups.
   
Eastmont’s pastor, Mike Northcutt, agreed. He said Eastmont has a crisis emergency plan in place, but with more than 1,000 Alabama Baptists and Eastmont volunteers spread out around the church, the BNF helped secure Reaves until the paramedics arrived.
   
“They are willing to serve, skilled and trained,” he said. “They are ready to respond and offered good care.”
   
The BNF is an organization of Alabama’s Woman’s Missionary Union and is open to all nurses, explained Underwood, a former past president of BNF. “It gives nurses a chance to get together, to study and to get continuing education credit,” she said.
   
The parish nursing ministry also falls under the umbrella of this group, she added. “We are highlighting this ministry for churches.”
   
For more information about BNF, visit www.alawoman.com.
   
As far as Reaves is concerned, this “dedicated Eastmont member with a true servant’s heart” demonstrated his zeal after he was stabilized at the emergency room. He asked if he could return for the Tuesday evening session.
   
Barbara Owens, consultant with Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union who works with BNF, said, “If it had not been for the nurses, we might have lost him.”