Parish Nursing: Healthcare Ministry Within the Church

Parish nursing has a positive impact on the spiritual well-being and quality-of-life of chronically ill parishioners. Now recognized as a specialty of nursing by the American Nurses Association, parish nursing strengthens partnerships among churches, the community, and healthcare providers. This unique resource provides an overview of the current state of parish nursing, exploring the spiritual call to the parish nursing ministry, a spiritual history of parish nursing, and the role of the parish nurse as a "spiritual companion" in health and illness. The current state of parish nursing education is covered, along with a presentation of several theories of parish nursing, including the author's own middle-range theory of spiritual well-being in illness. Information and guidelines on how to initiate a parish nursing or health ministry program within a faith community are provided, including discussions of contemporary models of parish nursing. Other topics covered include the parish nurse's own spirituality, needs of diverse populations, homebound adults, and the hospitalized parishioner. A special chapter details the quantitative and qualitative findings for the author's own study on parish nursing and chronic illness, which documents the importance and value of parish nursing to the recipients of the ministry. The appendices provide prayers for parish nurses, a "Parish Health Assessment Profile," a "Parish Health Needs Assessment Form," and other parish nursing report forms that may be helpful for parish nurses initiating parish nursing or health ministry programs in their churches.