Church and health care make unlikely partners
Church and health care make unlikely partners
Connecting spirituality to physical well-being
Congregations of faith and health care systems make good partners, according to Linda L. Pape, MSN, RN, parish nurse coordinator for Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals of Ohio Health in Columbus. The reason is simple: Hospitals and clinics are places of sickness, while a congregation of faith can be a healthy place.
"A place of worship is where we are concerned about our soul, our spirit, our relationships with others. We’re concerned about healing of relationships, forgiveness, forgiving ourselves, having a positive lifestyle, and being physically well — having a sound mind, body, and spirit. I believe the congregation of faith is one of the places where that can happen," says Pape.
Health care professionals tend to focus on the physical aspects of well-being, such as teaching people to eat right and exercise. Yet, spirituality seems to play a role in health. For instance, people who are guilt-ridden and can’t forgive themselves often develop ulcers and other kinds of illnesses.
People who are lonely and have no one who cares about them also tend to die sooner than those who are connected to people, says Pape. "We diagnose based on what happens to the physical body, but how much does the spiritual have to do with our deaths and our living?" she asks.
In 1992, Pape was hired to oversee a program called Church Partnerships, which is based on the parish nursing model. Parish nurses educate, counsel, and help people see the connection between spirituality and physical and mental well-being. While many hospital-based parish nurse programs pay nurses to work at churches, synagogues, and mosques, Pape asked nurses to volunteer to work at their place of worship. (For more information on parish nursing, see Patient Education Management, April 1997, pp. 44-46.)
Since the program’s inception, it has been broadened to include churches that don’t have a health professional in their congregation but want a health ministry. The health minister might be a social worker, pastor, or any member of the congregation who wants to minister to the health of the whole person.
A team of people also can form the health ministry of a congregation. "A parish nurse is also a health minister, but not all health ministers are parish nurses," explains Pape.
Parish nurses don’t do any hands-on interventions such as wound dressings or immunizations. Instead, they are available to help with health care referrals, counseling, and to be present during illness.
There are five functions of a parish nurse, says Pape. They include:
• Education.
The parish nurse or health minister educates people about health and the choices they must make. End-of-life decisions and completing advance directives, for example, are decisions patients must make. "End-of-life decisions could be made in a community of faith because that is a spiritual question," says Pape.
• Personal health counseling.
A parish nurse often develops a relationship of trust with members of the congregation. People often confide in him or her about problems such as depression.
• Referrals.
Gathering information on services available within the community or throughout the country is part of a parish nurse’s duties. Members of the congregation can then be referred to appropriate agencies in time of need.
• Organizing volunteers and support groups.
Members of the congregation should be organized to provide meals to a person who has just come home from the hospital. People who are newly divorced or have lost a loved one also benefit from a support group. Parish nurses or health ministers often are called upon to organize volunteer efforts and support groups.
• Providing the spiritual and physical connection.
"The parish nurse tries to help people connect their physical and spiritual well-being and how they interrelate and affect one another," explains Pape.
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