Parish Nurses – Who Are They?

Parish Nurses are registered nurses with advanced training that prepares them to provide wholistic health care in churches and synagogues.  As a member of the ministerial team of the congregation, they expand the healing mission of the church as a health counselor and advocate.  Their mission is to strengthen the link between physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

 

Parish Nurses do not provide home health care services or perform invasive nursing procedures.  They are not in competition with public health or community health services, but rather work in collaboration with these agencies to enhance healthcare delivery.

 

By partnering with religious congregations, we expand our mission to care for the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.  Teaching people to form healthy lifestyles, both physically and spiritually, resulting in a positive sense of well-being.

 

Parish Nurses – What Can They Do?

Parish Nurses develop their practice in response to the unique needs of each congregation.  They can:

• Assess the physical, mental and spiritual needs of parish members.
• Counsel individuals on health care issues.
• Utilize a variety of appropriate caring methods for healing, such as prayer, grief support group, and/or reminiscence.
• Offer health screening, blood pressure checks, and provide informational sessions on current health information.
• Visit parish members in their homes, hospitals or nursing homes.
• Refer parish members to cost effective community health resources that best meet their health needs.
• Teach health care classes to all members across the life-span.

 

Parish Nurses – Why A Nurse in Our Church?

Hospitals have in the past been looked at as the health care institutions.  Today we are expanding that view.  To keep health care affordable, to prevent complications from chronic illness and serious disease, hospitals and churches are forming partnerships as both are places for healing.

 

When people are taught healthy ways of living from their faith perspective and within the context of their congregations, a balance is achieved between their body, their mind and their spirit resulting in well being.  Research demonstrates that people who achieve this, when combined with faith and hope, live longer, more contented lives.

 

God has given us a wonderful gift of life and it is our responsibility to keep ourselves well in body, mind, and spirit-we are stewards of our own health!  The Parish Nurse extends a hand to individuals on this life-long journey of physical, mental, and spiritual health.

 

Please welcome our Parish Nurse Joyce Biggs, RN.