Minnesota parish nurses make a difference

by Mary Ann Miller

"I don’t understand why I’m taking these medications; I don’t think I really need them"; "Mom can’t live alone anymore; where can she go?"

These are just a few of the concerns parish nurses in west central Minnesota hear as they reach out to help their parishioners cope with health issues.

Parish nursing in west central Minnesota began in 1995 as an expansion of Rice Memorial Hospital’s services within its 17-county service area. Vinji Lutheran and Calvary Lutheran churches of Willmar were the first churches to ask registered nurses from their congregations to volunteer a few hours a month to establish parish nurse ministries. Rice Memorial Parish Nursing Outreach Program has since assisted 15 congregations in initiating parish nurse ministries. In the Diocese of New Ulm, the parishes of St. Mary’s in Willmar and Our Lady of the Lake in Spicer are exploring ways to begin a parish nursing ministry. Clara City, Granite Falls and Montevideo are in the beginning phases of starting a program. Although a few parish nurses still minister as volunteers, the majority of congregations value this ministry sufficiently that parish nurses have been hired as part-time staff.

The programs develop an awareness of the relationship between faith and health among parishioners in addition to providing holistic and preventive health care services. Under the direction of the pastor and church councils, ministries are tailored to meet the specific health needs of their parishioners. Although ministries vary among individual churches, all the parish nurses work closely in a collaborative relationship with their pastors, community health nurses and hospital staff to extend rather than duplicate health services.

Parish nurses feel health screening is an important tool in health prevention and therefore conduct more than 240 blood pressure screenings monthly. During these screenings, nurses offer individual counseling and education on health prevention and maintenance. As parish nurses observe abnormal readings, they refer parishioners to their physicians and often accompany them to the appointments, acting as both support agents and interpreters.

Parish nurse ministries vary in many ways; some parish nurses feel they can best serve parishioners through visitation of home-bound congregants or the elderly who are in the hospital or reside in nursing homes. Parish nurses in this region are making an average of 470 visits with individuals monthly.

Other parish nurses feel that through training and coordination with volunteers of established visitation programs they can serve as referral agents to those programs. As a result, nurses can see parishioners who are in need of immediate assessment and intervention and also provide additional services to well, active parishioners.

Our communities and congregations in west central Minnesota have come to realize the health benefits parish nurses provide and those with such programs are investigating expansion opportunities. Several churches without active programs are inquiring about the process of initiating programs.

For further information about parish nursing contact Mary Ann Miller, (320) 231-8944; e-mail: mmil@rice.willmar.mn.us