What is Parish Nursing?

“He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal” (Lk 9:2, RSV). From the time of Jesus, the mission of the church has been concerned with physical as well as spiritual and emotional health. However, with the success of modern medicine came growing sophistication, technology, regulations, and the separation of physical health-care from spiritual care.

Rev. Granger Westberg, a Lutheran minister, is credited for being the “Father” of Parish Nursing. This idea started in the mid-1980’s in the Chicago area. He felt that we needed to bring back the concept that one needs harmony of the body, mind and spirit to be whole. He felt that the church was an ideal place to position a nurse and help people prevent health care problems and deal with existing ones. After all, it already is a place where faith is strong and people feel comfortable. It is a place following the ministry of Jesus in promoting healing. It is a place where we can help people take care of their most precious gift from God – their life.

Westberg defined the role of the parish nurse as including, but not limited to:

1. Health Educator – to promote an understanding of the relationship between lifestyle, attitudes, faith and well-being. Classes on topics such as “nutrition” or on “prayer, stress, and healing” would be two ways of doing this. Another way would be bulletin inserts.

2. Personal Health Counselor – to identify and to discuss health concerns with parishioners. Activities such as blood pressure screenings after church on Sunday can provide an opportunity to do this.

3. Liaison with Community Health Resources – to help people utilize community resources and services that best meet their needs. The parish nurse does not provide hands-on care such as dressing changes and medication administration, but does develop professional contacts within the health care community and is thus able to accomplish appropriate and workable referrals.

4. Facilitator of Volunteers – to recruit and coordinate volunteers and support groups within the parish.

(The above was adapted freely from “In the Beginning: A Guide for Parish Nurses Beginning a Health Ministry”, a publication of Danbury Hospital. Used with permission, Chaplain’s Department, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT.)

The thrust of parish nursing is wholistic nursing, caring for the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of life. It emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention. It emphasizes the close relationship between faith and health. And it is a ministry within and to a community of faith. Although the parish nurse might personally reach out in mission and service to the community surrounding the parish, the primary focus of the parish nurse’s work is the care of the faith community itself. It is through this work within the faith community that congregational outreach can happen, as the nurse empowers and leads volunteers from the congregation toward increased health care mission.