You might know who we are – Kay Marvin, Heather Schofield and Donna Redding – but you might not know what we do to support the health of our parishioners and our church community.
We’re all Faith Community Nurses (parish nurses), licensed registered nurses who specialize in faith community nursing, the practice of holistic health for self, parishioners and the community using nursing knowledge combined with spiritual care.
Parish nursing began in the mid-1980s in Chicago through the efforts of Rev. Dr. Granger Westberg as a reincarnation of the faith community nursing outreach done by religious orders, such as the "Parish Deaconesses" in Europe and America in the 1800s. Rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and the practice of professional nursing, it is consistent with the basic assumptions of many faiths that we care for self and others as an expression of God's love.
We began our parish nursing ministry in 2014 after completing specialty certification education and continue to provide nursing care to parishioners and families at both Historic St. Patrick and Holy Trinity parishes. We have served in nearly 1100 interactions and provided about 1400 hours of care. We are volunteers, and there is no charge for any of our nursing services. And what can we do for you and your family?
Our primary role is as a case manager to make sure our parishioner clients have the health care resources they need in a wide variety of circumstances.
*Coordinate after-hospital care for parishioners
*Teach about medications and health-related treatments
*Advise parishioners on how to manage chronic or acute illnesses
*Refer to other health care colleagues as needed
*Provide educational sessions about a range of health-related topics for parishioner groups
We communicate with clients by phone, make home or hospital or long term care facility visits, and communicate with other health care providers on behalf of our clients.
We do physical assessments and screenings including monthly blood pressure checks at our monthly church breakfasts. Stop by and say "hi" at the next Welcome Weekend Breakfast - We would love to meet you!
Our goal is to help our parishioners meet their health care needs, physically, spiritually and emotionally. You can contact us through Donna Redding at redding.donna@outlook.com or by calling 309-824-0857. We’ll look forward to taking care of you!
And a special note to other nurses in our parishes: if you’d like to join us in our ministry, call Donna to learn more about becoming a Faith Community Nurse.