Parish nursing : healthcare ministry within the church / Mary Elizabeth O'Brien.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

O'Brien, Mary Elizabeth.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Parish nursing.

Nursing.

Community Health Nursing.

Religion and Medicine.

Medical Subjects:

Nursing.

Community Health Nursing.

Religion and Medicine.

Physical Description:

xix, 339 pages : forms ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Sudbury, Mass. : Jones and Bartlett, [2003]

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Gospel Call to Parish Nursing 1

"Lord, When Did I Care for You?": A Parish Nurse's Meditation 1

"And You Cared for Me": A Parable of Parish Nursing 3

The Scriptural Call to Parish Nursing 7

The Relationship of Faith and Health 11

The Church as a Center for Health Ministry 16

The Healthcare System-Affiliated Church Ministry Program 18

A Theology of Parish Nursing 19

Beatitudes for Parish Nurses 22

Chapter 2 The Spiritual History of Parish Nursing 25

"All the Towns and the Villages" 25

The Christian Gospel as a Framework for Parish Nursing 27

Jesus as a Role Model for the Parish Nurse 27

Deacons and Deaconesses of the Early Christian Church 31

The Kaiserswerth Deaconess Program 33

A Tradition of Service: Nursing Ministry within Faith Communities 34

The Holy Woman Veronica 34

The Early Public Health Nurse and the Church 34

"In the Parish" 35

The Church Nurse in the African American Congregation 37

Holistic Healthcare and Spiritual Ministry 41

The Beginnings of Contemporary Parish Nursing and Health Ministry 44

Granger Westberg and the Lutheran Experience 44

The International Parish Nurse Resource Center 44

Chapter 3 The Parish Nursing Role: Spiritual Companion in Health and Illness 49

The "Cup of Cold Water" Ministry 49

A Definition of Parish Nursing 50

The Language 53

The Role of the Parish Nurse in Health Ministry 53

Spiritual Companion in Health and Illness 56

Being Present 57

Listening 58

Touching 59

The Philosophy of Parish Nursing 61

A Theology of Community 62

The Scope and Standards of Parish Nursing Practice 63

The Credentialing Issue 64

The Health Ministries Association 66

Ethical and Legal Issues in Parish Nursing 68

Legal Issues in Parish Nursing Practice 71

Chapter 4 Education for Parish Nursing Practice 75

"He Will Teach You Everything" 75

The History and Current State of Parish Nursing Education 76

A Contemporary Parish Nursing Education Program: Parish Nursing: Connecting Faith and Health 78

A "Lived Experience" with the NCF Parish Nursing Education Program 79

Sister Minnie 86

Nurses Christian Fellowship Parish Nursing Advanced Seminar 92

Distance Learning in Parish Nursing Education: A Biblically-Based Program 95

University-Based Programs in Parish Nursing 96

Chapter 5 Conceptual Models of Parish Nursing Practice: A Middle-Range Theory of Spiritual Well-Being in Illness 99

"To Proclaim the Kingdom" 99

Grand Theories of Parish Nursing 103

A Middle-Range Theory for Parish Nursing Practice: Spiritual Well-Being in Illness 105

Development of the Theory of Spiritual Well-Being in Illness 106

Philosophy and Key Concepts 108

Theory Synthesis 111

Hypotheses Derived from the Theory 112

Empirical Testing 113

Chapter 6 Initiating a Parish Nursing/Health Ministry Program 117

"Bear One Another's Burdens" 117

Initiating a Parish Health Ministry Program 119

Prayer as a Spiritual Support 119

The Call to Christian Parish Health Ministry 120

The Pastoral Leadership Culture of the Faith Community 123

The Pastor 123

The Religious Culture of the Faith Community 125

The Health Cabinet 126

Conducting a Parish Health Needs Assessment 128

Initiating the Program: The Parish Nurse as Health Ministry Team Leader 129

Working with Volunteers 138

The Health Ministry Team Members 141

Health Ministry Activities 141

Accountability and Documentation 143

The Commissioning Ceremony 144

The Lived Experience of Initiating a Parish Nursing/Health Ministry Program 145

Chapter 7 The Spirituality of Parish Nursing 151

"Remove the Sandals From Your Feet" 151

The Spirituality of Parish Nursing: Standing on Holy Ground 152

Prayer and Parish Nursing: Praying with Parishioners 155

Scripture and Parish Nursing: Sharing the Word 157

Old Testament Passages 158

New Testament Passages 163

Religious Ritual and Parish Nursing: The Rites of the Church 167

Spiritual Companionship and Parish Nursing 168

The Ministry of Spiritual Companionship 168

Chapter 8 Parish Nursing Ministry with Diverse Populations 175

"There Is a Time" 175

The Parish Nurse as Health Minister 177

Identifying the Parish Ill and Infirm 177

The Ministry Visit 179

Home Ministry 181

Ministering to the Chronically Ill Parishioner 181

Ministering in Pain and Suffering 183

Ministering to the Older Adult 186

Hospital Ministry 188

Ministering to the Acutely Ill Parishioner 189

Ministering to the Parishioner in the Intensive Care Unit 191

Ministering to the Child and Family in the Pediatric Unit 192

Ministering to the Parishioner in the Psychiatric Unit 194

Nursing Home and Assisted Care Facility Ministry 196

Ministering to the Long-Term Care Parishioner 196

"The Lord of the Nursing Home" 196

Ministering to the Cognitively Impaired Parishioner 199

Ministering to Families 201

Ministry in Death and Bereavement 202

Ministry to Terminally Ill Parishioners 203

Ministering to Bereaved Parish Families 205

Chapter 9 An Experiment in Parish Nursing: The Gift of Faith in Chronic Illness 213

"With Eagle's Wings" 213

Study Aims 215

Research Methodology 215

Project Staff 215

Staff Training 218

Study Instruments 218

Procedure 219

Data Analysis 219

Quantitative Study Findings 220

Demographic Profile of Study Participants 220

Quantitative Changes following Parish Nursing/Health Ministry Intervention 220

Descriptive Data Elicited on Individual Scale Items 222

Qualitative Study Findings 224

Qualitative Themes Emerging from Narrative Interview Data 271

Faith-Based Coping in Chronic Illness 271

Religious Ritual: Two Anointings 278

The Parish Nurse's Experience 278

The Chaplain's Experience 280

Parish Nursing Roles 281

Spiritual Companion (Integrator of Faith and Health) 281

Health Advocate 282

Health Educator 282

Health Consultant (Referral Agent) 282

Health Counselor 283

Chapter 10 Parish Nursing Ministry in Contemporary Congregations: The Lived Experience 285

"We Hold This Treasure" 285

Parish Nursing Ministry in a Lutheran Congregation 287

Parish Nursing Ministry in an Episcopal Congregation 291

Parish Nursing Ministry in a Roman Catholic Congregation 295

Parish Nursing Ministry to the Homeless 299

Parish Nursing in the Twenty-First Century: A Prayer for the Third Millennium 303

A Parish Nurse's Prayer for the Third Millennium 304

Appendix A Caritas Christi Health System Parish-Based Health Ministry Parish Health Assessment Profile 305

Appendix B St. Vincent's Medical Center "Parish Nurse (Activity) Report" and "Newsletter Submission Form" 311

Appendix C Prayers for Parish Nurses 315

A Prayer for a Parishioner Preparing to Enter the Hospital 316

A Prayer for a Parishioner before Surgery 317

A Prayer for a Sick Child Parishioner 318

A Prayer for a Parishioner Entering a Nursing Home 319

A Prayer for a Cognitively Impaired Parishioner 320

A Prayer for an Unconscious Parishioner 321

A Prayer for a Parishioner's Healing 322

A Prayer for a Parishioner's Strength in Suffering 323

A Prayer for a Parishioner's Acceptance of God's Will 324

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for a Parishioner's Recovery from Illness 325

A Prayer for a Terminally Ill Parishioner 326

A Prayer for a Parishioner Beginning Hospice Care 327

A Prayer for Discontinuing a Parishioner's Life Support 328

A Prayer for a Parishioner Experiencing Grief or Loss 329

A Prayer for a Bereaved Parishioner 330.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

0763723894

OCLC:

51342408