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Parish
Nurses are registered nurses who respond to the holistic
health needs of a faith community, such as a church,
synagogue, cathedral, or mosque, and acknowledge common
faith traditions. The Parish Nurse focuses on the spiritual,
emotional and physical dimensions of people in their faith
community and emphasizes health promotion and disease
prevention. A Parish Nurse provides a plethora of services
including, but not limited to, health education, personal
health, counseling, referring members to community social
services and health-care agencies, and assessing the  physical,
spiritual, mental, and psychological needs of his/her faith
community. A Parish Nurse is part of a diverse
interdisciplinary team including the pastoral staff,
professional health care members, and lay volunteers who
represent various aspects of the life of the congregational
community (Stanhope, 2000). Through working with others in
this interdisciplinary team, Parish Nursing fosters new and
creative approaches to health concerns in their
congregation. Parish Nursing holds that all persons are
sacred and must be treated with respect and dignity. In
response to this belief, the parish nurse empowers members
of her faith community to take charge of their own health
management and encourages members to understand and care for
one another in light of their relationship to God (Solari-Twadell,
1994).
Generally,
Parish Nursing is not appropriate for a nurse right out of
graduation. Nurses who enter parish nursing should have at
least a BSN. A master’s degree is usually desired, but a
nurse can be qualified and hired by a congregation with just
his or her bachelor’s degree. A few universities in the
United States offer graduate level programs in Parish Health
Nursing, including Georgetown University and Marquette
University in Wisconsin. Most congregations desire a nurse
with a master’s degree specializing in community health
nursing, holistic nursing, or mental health nursing. A
professional nurse looking into Parish Nursing should have
at least three to five years experience with a background in
community health. A nurse must also have evidence of mature
faith. Preparation and continuing education includes basic
and enrichment courses in the nursing profession and also
courses in pastoral care. A nurse with a strong commitment
to his or her faith, the above education requirements, and a
holistic approach to nursing, should consider the ever
advancing, field of Parish Nursing.
Additional
Websites on Parish Nursing
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