I've noticed that the cloisters and the teaching orders are getting the lion's share of the vocations. In light of the U.S. health care system's problems, we need to be praying for the nursing orders and their vocations.

Are there any nursing orders left?

Cloister Outreach is doing our part to try to alleviate the problem: http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/

Blessings,
Gemma

Thanks, Gemma for helping us focus our prayers.

Here are a couple communities off the top of my head with specific healthcare apostolates for us to mention by name in our prayers:

Hawthorne Dominicans

Carmelites for the Aged and Infirm

RSMs of Alma

There's another community in Kansas (I believe) whose name escapes me at this time.

Our Lady of Health, pray for us.

**smacks forehead** I can't believe I forgot the KS community. I attended a diocesan vocations meeting with their vocation directess! Sisters of Mary, I believe is their name. Lovely habit.

Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us.

Blessings,
Gemma

The Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis have a nursing apostolate. So do the Carmelite sisters in Los Angeles. There are also the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the Sisters of Bon Secours, the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus, the Sisters/Brothers Hospitaller of the Sacred Heart - and, of course, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

HAWTHORNE DOMINICANS!

Yes, our community, The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, is basically a nursing order. We are rather reluctant to call it that because then people assume you have to be a nurse. What it really means is that our main apostolate (almost exclusively) is healthcare. But even in the early days, the Sisters ran the whole hospital, not just nursing. So many of our older Sisters are Lab techs, pharmacists, X-ray techs, administrators...
There are actually a fair number of nursing orders, many of them are more the liberal. But there are a fair number that have healthcare as part of their apostolate.
Here are some more for your list
Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration
Carmelite Sisters for the Aged & Infirm
Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus
Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi
Felician Sisters
Franciscan Sisters of John the Baptist
Sisters of Christian Charity, Daughters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick
Little Sisters of the Poor

YES! They need our prayers--

I second that!
We would greatly appreciate your prayers!!

Wow, this is very timely--
my sister is entering college next year to be a nurse, but she also feels called to religious life. I will be sure to point her in these directions!

I'm studying for my nursing degree. If you'd like, you can pray for me too!

The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus are both teachers and nurses (and they give retreats, too) -

http://www.carmel-msh.org/

Last year they showed one of the nursing sister's graduation ceremony's - they where all white habits while they're "on duty".

If she hasn't chosen a college yet, we have two colleges of Nursing.
St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, IL
St. Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford, IL

She is going to my alma mater, Capital U. in Columbus, OH, which has a fantastic nursing program (and I love it...ha ha). It is Lutheran in name only, but there are a lot of Catholics on campus (including a lot of the nursing faculty).

Oh well. i had to put the little plug in.

Regardless though, we are always looking for Sisters and nurses, Sister Nurse even better.

Hey I like plugs.
I will send her your way...especially once she's got 'RN' after her name. I'm sure this will thrill her (and our parents, who want her to be able to use her nursing degree if she joins an order!)

one of the great things about a nursing degree is that no matter where you end up, you'll be sure it'll never go "to waste", as the world sees it. there will always be aging or sickly sisters to care for.

Here are a few more communities with a health care apostolate:

Daughters of St. Mary of Providence (Chicago area)
Sisters of Nazareth (California)
Sisters of St. Rita (Wisconsin)
also... the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters and the Benedictine Sisters of New Jersey minister in health care in part.

Our biggest problem with the medical professions right now is a shortage that is only going to get bigger. Medical professions like Physician, Nurses, Physical Therapists...
There aren't enough entering to fill in for the ones who are retiring. A great portion of our staff is made up of baby boomers. So as the baby boomers get older and need more medical attention, not only could we not take care of that number with our present staff, but we'll have fewer staff to do it.
We are going to be having some hard times in the not so distant future.