 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Parish Nursing
What is a parish nurse (faith community nurse)? A parish nurse is a registered nurse who works in a faith community to address health issues of its members and other members in the broader community or neighborhood. The experience the nurse has gathered working in other medical areas and specialties helps him or her assess health status and needs of the congregation and collaborate with health agencies. What makes this specialty different is the conscious partnering of health issues with the faith of the client and client's family. Parish nurses serve many roles, including:
Registered nurses with several years' experience and a current Indiana license and who have completed a parish nurse basic preparation course. Is this only available to Christian congregations? Health ministries are reflected in any faith community. There are Jewish Congregational Nurses, Muslim Crescent Nurses, and registered nurses serving in similar capacities within other faith traditions throughout the country. What is the training for a parish nurse? There are several curricula, but most parish nurses have used the curriculum developed by a panel of nursing faculty which is offered in partnership with the International Parish Nurse Resource Center at more than 130 nursing schools around the U.S. and abroad. Find a list of Indiana programs. How does one begin a parish nurse ministry? Often the best way to learn about parish nursing is to locate a working parish nurse and spend time "shadowing." Important early in the work is the philosophical considerations of parish nursing. Persons who focus on developing a parish nurse program should gain an appropriate mindset of the congregation as a health place in the community, health as being whole person oriented and more than physical, and the nurse as being other than the provider of medication, dressing changes and other physical care. Attending the Annual Westberg Symposium, a conference through the International Parish Nurse Resource Center, as well as the Indiana Center for Parish Nursing's annual conference in the spring are excellent ways to learn about parish nursing and network with others who are involved in parish nursing. It is equally important to contact denominational offices to see what resource they may have available to assist in this work. Some denominations may have a designated parish nurse consultant for their denomination. Once the education has begun it is helpful to establish a task force that can do some of the basic work while keeping the congregation informed of progress. How long does it take to establish a parish nurse ministry? Like any other ministry being introduced into the congregation, if it is to sustain over time, careful planning and implementation need to be provided. Often the early work of mindset development and education can be time consuming. It must be considered that the work group will meet probably once a month for two hours. This reflects the voluntary nature of the work and the importance of developing a sound foundation for the ministry to sustain. It can take as long as 12 to 24 months to establish the parish nurse ministry. However, in taking that time and expending the effort it is more likely that the ministry will be integrated successfully into the life of the congregation. Does a parish nurse get paid or is she volunteer? Parish nurses can be either a paid or unpaid staff member of the church. The Indiana Center for Parish Nursing has developed a resource section for parish nurses and health ministries. You also may visit the International Parish Nurse Resource Center Web site. |
|
