In the late 1970s / early 1980s the Rev. Dr. Granger Westberg a Lutheran Minister /
Hospital Chaplain (author of the best selling book Good Grief) developed the modern day
concept of Parish Nursing. This relatively “new” concept of health ministry builds upon the
centuries old traditions of religious orders that cared for the sick and needy. This was
exemplified in the past in this country by the many hospices, hospitals and schools of nursing
that were developed by various Judeo-Christian religious institutions. In recent years, the
concept of Parish Nursing/ Faith Community Nursing has swept the nation. In our neighboring
state of Montana close to 350 Parish Nurses have been trained in the past ten years!
Faith Community Nursing, also known as Parish Nursing, is a specialized practice of
professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as part of the process
of promoting wholistic health and preventing or minimizing illness. This practice is
guided by the following general principles:
| - |
Effective healthcare requires more than medical treatment of
disease or illness. |
| - |
Promotion of health and healing are part of the mission and
service of a faith community to its members. |
| - |
Wellness and wholeness can only fully be achieved when we acknowledge the
close connection between body, mind and spirit.
|
In 1998 the American Nurses Association, in collaboration with the Health Ministries Association (HMA) the professional membership organization for nurses in this specialty, developed the Scope and Standards of Parish Nursing Practice. In 2005, this
document was transformed into Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of
Practice in order to embrace a non-denominational, ecumenical perspective. This
document points out that the Faith Community Nurse (FCN) bridges two disciplines and thus must be prepared in and responsible to both. “Appropriate and effective practice as an FCN requires the ability to integrate current nursing, behavioral, environmental and spiritual knowledge with the unique spiritual beliefs and practices of the faith community into a program of wholistic nursing care. This is necessary no matter the level of education the nurse has achieved.”
FCNs focus on helping the patient (which can be an individual, family or the entire congregation) to achieve health, healing, and wholeness by implementing health
promotion and disease prevention practices. They must be caring, spiritually mature
people who reach out to comfort, console, strengthen, teach and encourage the faith
community. They must have: good communication skills; the ability to work with others
within the congregation and the larger community; a demonstrated relationship with a
faith community; and the time and desire to implement a health ministry program within
their faith community. Their practice focuses on these traditional FCN roles:
- Integrator of Faith and Health
- Health Educator
- Personal Health Counselor
- Referral Agent
- Trainer of Volunteers
- Developer of Support Groups
- Health Advocate/Health Care Navigator
FCNs must hold an active license as an RN and should have completed a recognized FCN basic preparation course. FCNs may be paid or volunteer and should work in cooperation with the priest/minister as part of the faith community staff/pastoral care
team. Other health professionals (e.g. LPNs, retired RNs, social workers, health
educators, physical therapists, physicians, etc.) can be recruited to partner with the FCN
as a Health Ministry Team / Health Cabinet thus developing a model to utilize the
expertise of many valued health professionals within the faith community.
The Wyoming Health Council, in cooperation with the Parish Nurse Center, Carroll
College, Helena, MT conducts an annual Faith Community Nurse Basic Preparation Course
each summer. This course is based on the widely utilized curricula developed by the
International Parish Nurse Resource Center, St. Louis, MO.
The 35 hour/CEU course includes the following topics:
- Health, Healing and Wholeness in the Faith Community
- History and Philosophy of Parish Nursing / Health Ministry
- Ethics in Parish Nursing
- Legal Issues and Accountability
- Assessment: Individual, Family, Faith Community
- Getting Started
- Six Traditional Functions of the Parish Nurse
- Self-care for Parish Nurses
- Functioning within a Ministerial Team
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Grief and Loss
- Family Violence
- Documentation
- Prayer and the Worship Leader
In addition, the Wyoming Health Council coordinates a statewide network for all known FCNs/ PNs. For more information about Faith Community Nursing, the statewide network, or the
upcoming FCN Basic Preparation Course contact Carol Peterson, MS, RN at cepeterson2@bresnan.net or 307-631-4186. |
