In the nursing profession that is known for the care of others, Ruth Gholz took that caring to the next level. After watching her mother, who was also a nurse, experience poor care as she suffered with cancer, Ruth made a commitment to herself to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from that disease. She became an advanced oncology clinical nurse specialist and is an educator and speaker in the field. She has been on the board of the National Oncology Nursing Society and has been on multiple committees. Even though she has officially retired after forty years in the profession, she continues to work with patients. She is also on the board of the local Oncology Nursing Society as the program chair.

Behind this life of service is the foundation of faith. She says, “I was nurtured into the field (of nursing) and I have always learned to love people for where they are, not where they should be. I understand that what they’re going through is a challenge and to be their advocate during that challenge. So I would say early in my career, maybe even my before I graduated from nursing school, I knew that it was time to bring God into my world and share what God taught me and be alert to the miracles that God was surrounding me with.”

Over the years, Ruth has experienced God in the workplace. She says, “I saw God multiple times, probably every day. I would say one of the first experiences was when we had student nurses in the hospital. I went into one patient’s room and the student nurse had inadvertently given a drug the wrong way. The patient was having side effects immediately: ready to pass out and vomit. I just thought that God brought me in that room at the right time to transition that side of it to a better outcome. And he did well and everything worked out fine.”

Nurses are the backbone of the medical profession and play a critical role in patient care. They have been described as the lifeline of hospitals. When that care includes faith in the One who came to heal, those nurses, like Ruth Gholz, make an unmeasurable contribution to the well being of those in their care.

Ruth Gholz lives with her husband, John, and their family in West Chester, Ohio.