Parish Nurse Course Outline

Our mission is to educate and support parish nurses
and health ministers who promote wholeness of
body, mind, and spirit within their faith communities.

Churches are communities of people…and all communities need health professionals. As a functioning member of the church staff, the parish nurse or health minister enhances the healing ministry by working hand in hand with the clergy to help heal the body, mind and spirit of the congregation - something religious leaders have been doing since biblical times.

Emphasis and Objectives

Unit One:

The Theology of Health and Healing
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Bakken

Objectives:

• Describe the relationship between theology, health, healing, and wholeness
• Discuss the historical relationship between religion and medicine
• Understand prayer and steps for healing

Unit Two:

Health Ministry as Spiritual Care Providers
Chaplain Kathryn Olson

Objectives:

• Integrate pastoral caregiving skills in everyday and crisis situations
• Demonstrate the interrelationship between pastoral caregiving skills and wholistic health care
• Share personal and spiritual journeys
• Discover new methods of integrating health and wellness into daily living

Unit Three:

Principles and Practice of Puget Sound Parish Nurse & Health Ministries
Carol Story, RN, MN, along with other expert speakers

Objectives:

• Analyze the concept of spirituality
• Understand wellness promotion
• Assess spiritual, physical, and psychosocial needs of individuals in a community with changing dynamics
• Describe the leadership role of the parish nurse in establishing a program that integrates health care to meet physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs

Role and Responsibilities

Puget Sound Parish Nurse & Health Ministries is a melding of nursing and ministry. Parish nurses are registered nurses who minister wholistically to individuals and families, using their health education and spiritual maturity to promote wellness of body, mind and sprit in many ways: