For More Information about Parish Nursing visit the IPNRC website!
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PARISH NURSE PROJECT
The Parish Nurse Project utilized the skills and expertise of nurses within a congregation to enhance the spiritual, emotional and physical health of the congregation and the community. Trained parish nurses throughout Virginia are available to assist any church in coordinating such a ministry.
PARISH NURSING is an American Nurses Association Professional Speciality Practice of Nursing. It is grounded in the concept that health is an interplay of body, mind and spirit.
Parish Nursing is Biblically based. More is told in the New Testament accounts about Jesus' healing attitude and actions than about any other facets of His ministry.
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23 NIV)
He sent his followers out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:2 NIV)
The Baptist Nursing Fellowship supports the inclusion of a professional health ministry member on the association and church ministry team.
Our present mobile society is in critical need of support systems. The expertise of congregational health professionals can be a vital resource in helping churches meet those needs.
parish nurse roles includes:
Integrator of Faith and Health
Personal Health Counselor
Health Educator
Referral Agent
Health Advocate
Coordinator of Volunteers
Developer of Support Groups
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parish nurse's roles do not include:
Anything that requires a physician's order
Anything that requires intervention where a home health or other agency can provide services
Anything without a spiritual focus
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The Parish Nurse promotes wellness and disease prevention of the congregation by:
Organizing health fairs, blood pressure screenings, health promotion seminars and programs
Enlisting members' participation in WMU ministry projects (i.e., Mary & Elizabeth project addressing teen pregnancy, Dorcas project dealing with problems faced by those who are economically disadvantaged)
Visiting members with health problems to identify concerns or the need for referral for other agency or professional help
Offering training and affirmation to caregivers and assistance to persons who have had recent hospitalization
Coordinating a church care team for persons with long-term illnesses;
Providing opportunities for outreach through support groups open to non-church members
Educating the congregation on moral-ethical health issues.
Steps in developing Parish Nursing in your Baptist Church...
1. Pray for the ministry and nurses to sense a call to parish nurse ministry.
2. Obtain a Virginia Baptist Parish Nurse Ministry Manual and Forms Manual.
3. Talk with a trained parish nurse consultant from WMUV.
4. Establish a learning situation for church staff, nurses in the congregation, or the congregation as a whole.
a. Gather printed information for the study.
b. Do a preliminary assessment of needs. (Samples of assessments are in Forms Manual.)
c. Distribute bibliography (see below).
5. Follow up with:
a. Bible studies on Jesus' model of health care of the whole person.
b. Churchwide seminar on parish nursing. (Speakers are available from WMUV.)
6. Lead the church to create a Health Ministry Committee. The chair would serve as a member of the church council. Tasks of the Committee would include:
a. continuing assessment of needs a parish nurse would address in the church family;
b. studying model options for your church's Parish Nurse program.
c. defining the church's parish nurse ministry;
d. determining compensation and/or support budget;
e. keeping congregation informed on progress.
7. Contact church's liability insurance company and notify of desire for a parish nurse ministry with specifics the ministry will entail. Follow through with requirements.
8. Develop a parish nurse model to fit your church and select a parish nurse. Keep it simple, start slow and add on after success with an initial focus. Expect a full year before the ministry is established and ready for evaluation.
9. Provide for specialized training in parish nursing for the nurse who will coordinate the church program. Several possibilities are currently available. Call WMUV for information about these.
RESOURCES:
Faith & Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Health Ministries Association, P. O. Box 7853, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, 714/985-0085, 800/852-5613
Health Ministries Association. National Organization of Parish Nurses, P. O. Box 7853, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, 714/985-0085, 800/852-5613
International Parish Nurse Resource Center at Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries, 475 East Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119. Telephone: (314) 918-2559 Fax: (314) 918-2558 http://ipnrc.parishnurses.org
Virginia Baptist Parish Nurse Ministry Manual and Forms Manual. Virginia Baptist Nursing Fellowship and WMUV
Congregational Health, Journal of Christian Nursing, Winter 1997. P. O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895
Parish Nurse Consultants. Trained practicing parish nurses throughout Virginia provided by Baptist Nurse Fellowship and WMUV
Significance of the Logo:
The circle symbolizes well-being, wholeness, the eternal God. The Cross, the symbol of healing, is made from the tau, the first letter of the Greek word for God. It calls to mind God's great love in the gift of Jesus Christ. If shown in color, the cross is red, signifying the blood of Christ. The olive branches, in green, are symbols of shalom, peace and wholeness, as well as new life. They also remind us of olive oil, the primary medicine of Biblical times. The symbols rest on a white background, symbolizing the purity of Christ.
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