Parish nurse - Pastor reflection

Parish nurse - In The Trenches with Congregational Nurses

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Our goal is to minister to the mind, body and soul.

From my perspective, Congregational Nursing is vital part of our society. We are able to go out in the trenches to reach members of society at a more personal basis. I believe this type of nursing affords us the ability to be more personal and more involved to impact healthcare of our society. We are able to spend more time educating without being hurried.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines Faith Community Nursing (FCN) as “the specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as part of the process of promoting holistic health and preventing or minimizing illness in a faith community.”

Rather than dealing primarily with sickness in a faith community, parish nurses focus on wellness, disease prevention and health promotion. Responsibilities may include:

• Health education and teaching
• Personal health counseling for faith community members
• Coordinating with community health resources and acting as a church liaison
• Training and coordinating volunteers in support services
• Organizing health support groups
• Assessing congregational and community health needs
• Responding to health-related issues such as substance abuse, addictions and violence within congregational families or the surrounding community
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