• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.154-169
• /
• 1996

Parish nursing is a community health nursing role developed in 1983 by Lutheran chaplain Granger Westberg. An increasing emphasis on holistic care, personal reseponsibility for a healthy lifestyle, and changes in healthcare delivery systems have undoubtedly facilitated the establishment and nurturance of an innovative nursing role in the community. Parish nurses are functioning in a variety of church congregations of various denominations. The parish nurse is a educator, a personal health counselor, a coordinator of volunteers. The parish nurses helps people relate to the complexed medical care system and assists people to integrate faith and health. The autors conducted a study on pastor's expectations from parish nurses. Results of this study will be useful to those instrumental in planning, initiating, supporting, and evaluating a parish nurses program The research was done on 130 pastors in Taegue and Kyong Sang Buck Do, of various ages ranging from their 20's to 60's: and pastoring churches of various sizes, ranging from under 100 to over 300 members. 94.6% agreed that they needed a parish nurse on their staff; and 86.2% said they wanted to start a parish nurse program in their churches if certain basic conditions were met. The pastors responded that some would hire the nurses on a full-time basis(22.3%), a part -time basis (37.7%) or use volunteer nurses (40%). The pastors said they would expect the following from a parish nurse: health counselling (80.0%) regular health check-ups (78.5%) health care for the elderly (78.5%) health information and education (72.3%) hospice care (72.3%) visiting sick church members at home (69.2%) arranging and training volunteers to help the seek (59.2%) health care for expectant mothers (50.0%) introducing and taking people to health care facilities (46.2%) The pastors were surveyed about specific areas of health education they would want the parish nurse to teach(for example, high blood pressure and heart disease prevention and management(76.2%) ; stress management(74.6%); and diabetes prevention and management(73.8%). The pastors were surveyed about specific areas of health counselling they would expect the parish nurse to do (for example, drug abuse, (73.1), alcohol abuse(64.6%), marriage conflict(60.0%), recovery after the loss of a loved one(56.9%), and women's conflict with parents-in-law(53.8%). The pastors were surveyed about types of things they would want included in regular health check-ups, what they would want a parish nurse to do on home visits, and what they would want included in home care for the elderly. They were also surveyed on what kind of spiritual care they would like parish nurses to give. Most (90.7%) wanted their parish, parishioners to be involved in the parish nurses program as volunteers, and in a variety of ways(such as visiting sick in their homes(68.5%) and helping with housework(63.1%) and taking sick people to health facilities(60%). Parish nurses role, activities, and boundaries of practice should be continuously monitored and refined and a 'case manager' should be conceptualized as an additional or all-encompassing role. An initial parish / community needs and readiness assessment should be done prior to establishing a program to detemine if the congregation is ready, willing, and able to support such a position for at least a 2 to 3 year period.