The course is based on the curriculum endorsed by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. Nurses gain theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to begin a health ministry in their church as well as an understanding of their role as a parish nurse. Nancy Linn, Mt. Vernon, Edie Bennett, Tamms, Mary White, Centralia, Nancy McNitt, Murphysboro, Tammy Jurgens, Murphysboro, and Paula McRoy, Murphysboro. Course instructor Alvyne Rethemeyer, RN, MSN, is the director of parish nursing at the Deaconess Parish Nurse Ministries in St. Louis, Missouri. We, as health care professionals, have, in many ways, done away with the art of nursing and all we have left is the science.
Parish nurses play a valuable role in their churches.
The parish nurse is there to listen, to observe, to make interventions for spiritual care, to pray, read scripture with patients and to direct people to the proper health care professional when necessary. Parish nurses also provide health education and screening for their parish as well as serve as a valuable church contact for church members who are ill or homebound. The course was sponsored by the Southern Illinois Healthcare Community Benefits Parish Nurse program. Yvonne Whitfield, RN, is the developer and coordinator of the program. From my tradition of believing, God is the ultimate healer.