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Dear
People of the Parish of St. Joseph,
 In
the short time that I have been with you, I have had the
opportunity to meet many of our wonderful young people.
One of the questions they asked was, “What does a Parish
Nurse do?” This week I would like to answer that question
and define what I see as my ministerial role as Parish Nurse
here.
Just
who are parish nurses? Why do they work in parishes? Parish
nurses are registered nurses who provide wholistic health
care in churches and synagogues. As a member of the ministerial
team of the congregation, they expand the healing ministry
of the church as a health counselor and advocate. The mission
of the Parish Nurse is to strengthen the link between physical,
emotional and spiritual wellness. Parish Nurses do not provide
health care services or perform invasive nursing procedures.
In
light of this definition, I see my ministerial role
at the Parish of St. Joseph as the following:
- Assessing
the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the
parish community
- Counseling
individuals on health care issues such as cancer,
heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.
- Utilizing
a variety of appropriate caring methods for healing,
such as prayer, healing services, visits and conversation,
etc.
- Offering
health screening, blood pressure checks and providing
current health information
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- Visiting
members in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes
and other health care facilities
- Referring
members to cost-effective community health resources
that best meet their needs
- Teaching
health care classes to all members across the life
span
- Inviting
those who need grief support groups and facilitating
bereavement care
- Serving
as an active member of the parish staff
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They are not in competition with public or community health
services, but rather work in collaboration with these agencies
to enhance health care delivery. These are some of the ways
I see that I can serve you in my ministry as Parish Nurse
of the Parish of St. Joseph. Please be aware that I say
some of the ways — there may be others that you identify.
I am open to your thoughts and ideas. I wish you a blessed
week enjoying the wonders of God’s creation in our midst.
—
Sr. Kathy Scott, LCM
kscott@posjhomewood.org
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