Nurse Roles

Parish Nursing Roles

• Health Counselor

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Health Counselor

  • Personal encounters with a parishioner 
  • Answers for health related questions
  • Hospital after care support
  • Visits at church, home, hospital, or nursing home
  • Pre-procedure assistance and explanations
  • Individual/group health teaching for health concerns
  • Wholistic health assessment of body, mind, and spirit
  • Enlists other professionals as needed:  clergy, counselors, physicians

  
  

• Support Groups

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Developer of Support Groups

  • Recognizes broad range of life stresses requiring coping strategies
  • Small group facilitation/support/training/resource
    • Single parents
    • Marriage encounter/support
    • Grief and bereavement
    • Care giving
    • Substance abuse/addictions
    • Victim of…
  • Referral for community support groups

  
  

• Health Educator

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Health Educator

  • Health screenings – B/P; blood draws for cholesterol, lipids, PSA, glucose; depression; cancer
  • Educational seminars – exercise, diet, stress management, pain, chronic health problems, etc.
  • Health promotion activities – aerobics, group walks, Walk to Jerusalem
  • Health resources/pamphlets/handouts
  • Bulletin boards/newsletters/bulletin inserts
  • Healing services

  
  

• Trainer of Volunteers

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Trainer of Volunteers

  • Training volunteers to assist families in crisis
  • Coordinates nurses who assist with screenings
  • Facilitates the use of teachers, social workers, physicians, and counselors to help with congregational needs and educational sessions
  • Coordinates congregants who help with respite care, transportation, food ministry, prayer chains, etc.

  
  

• Referral Agent

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Referral Agent

  • Locates community resources – Social Services, WIC, Cancer services, dental assistance, Women’s Shelter, housing, etc
  • Communicates with discharge planners, chaplains, physicians and other key healthcare workers
  • Teaches concepts related to Parish Nurse practice
  • Develops in-depth knowledge of church and community resources – both public and private

  
  

• Health Advocate

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is a Health Advocate

  • Supports and defends the parishioner’s health needs, rights, and values
  • Affirms and validates the parishioner and family within the health care structure
  • Provides assistance in understanding the health care process – multiple physicians, medications, transfers, types of healthcare facilities, long term care placement, etc.

  
  

• Faith and Health

  Ways that a Parish Nurse is an Integrator of Faith and Health

  • Recognizes and practices the power of prayer in the lives of individuals and families
  • Provides spiritual assessment and direction as appropriate
  • Enlists clergy and other key spiritual leaders when needed – grief, unforgiveness, fractured relationships
  • Facilitates transformative spiritual healing
  • Coordinates public and private services for healing
  • Eases suffering, brings reconciliation, increases coping, and enhances spiritual well-being