Grant County Nursing
The Parish Nurse Program of Marion Health continues to grow and develop within Grant and surrounding Counties. Beginning with eight nurses in 1999, the number now is 163 nurses, who have completed the eighteen-hour basic preparation class. The nurses receive ongoing education and resources to assist them in meeting the seven roles of the parish nurse:
- Integration of faith and health
- Health educator
- Health counselor
- Health advocate
- Support group facilitation
- Volunteer coordination
- Referral agent
Purpose
The Parish Nurse Program is a partnership between the hospital, an unpaid registered nurse, and an area congregation. The purpose is to initiate, develop, and provide resources to the congregations for maintaining and improving health. The Parish Nurse Program has a whole-person approach, dealing with the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life.
Philosophy
The overall philosophical objective is to provide a holistic approach to help fulfill the church’s healing mission to individuals and groups within the local church congregations.
Parish Nurse Program Support
The Parish Nurse Program provides registered nurses who are committed and called to help the congregation stay well and improve the overall health and healing ministry of individual faith communities. These nurses also serve as a members of the church’s leadership team. As a hospital volunteer employee, they communicate through regular oral and written reports of congregational physical concerns, program interests, health education needs, and individual needs of the congregants. The parish nurses also serve as a liaison to many resource services within the community.
Marion Health is providing a new source of primary preventative health care and disease management through the Parish Nurse Program. The changing healthcare climate and the growing number of people unable to access medical care increase the challenge; one response to that challenge is Marion Health’s Parish Nurse Program. It extends the healing mission that has been part of MGH since 1902. The program focuses on wellness and health promotion though a whole-person approach.
PN Highlights
- Monthly lunches
- Basic Education Course
- Clergy Connect
- Annual Summer Picnic
- Annual Christmas Celebration
- Parish Nurse Retreat (every three years)
- Westberg Symposium through International Parish Nurse Resource Center