Parish nurses give practical and spiritual care

Several years ago, Karen Wiebe got a call from one of the elders of the Port Rowan (Ont.) MB Church, telling her about a new ministry the church leadership had “hatched” at their spring retreat: “We would like to do something to reach out to our community and the thought of a church nurse came to us and so did your name.”

Her immediate reaction was, “God, You are so awesome!”

Parish nurses Karen Wiebe (left) and Arlene Thiessen

Three months earlier, Wiebe, who graduated as an RN in 1976 and has experience in various types of nursing, had read a short article on “parish nursing.” Her interest alerted, she searched for more information on the Internet, printed off some information, and filed it away thinking this was something she might want to be involved in someday. When she got the elder’s phone call, she says, she knew “God was at work.”

Over the next 18 months the church brainstormed the parish nurse idea and gathered information. Their excitement about it increased. Another nurse, Arlene Thiessen, was contacted to also help in the program.

In November 2002, Wiebe and Thiessen took a 6-week course through InterChurch Health Ministries at the University of Toronto. The course clarified the final guidelines for Port Rowan’s program. A health cabinet of 5 members from the congregation was formed and, January 2003, the congregation accepted the parish nurse ministry for a one-year term. In January 2004 the program was accepted as an ongoing ministry of the church.

A parish nurse does not replace existing medical services in the community but acts as an advocate for others in the congregation and community, Wiebe says. This involves: listening; networking; referring; negotiating a pathway to services for a person within the community structure; and facilitating the use of the services. The approach to health is holistic, involving body, mind and soul.

Between them, Wiebe and Thiessen work as paid parish nurses about eight to ten hours a week. They call and visit people on the church bulletin prayer list. They have business cards at several Port Rowan locations like the pharmacy. Sunday mornings their office is open for blood pressure checks, consultations, and information. They may follow up leads from the pastor or take referrals from the community and arrange to visit people in their homes.

“The whole approach is visiting people with a spiritual emphasis,” Wiebe says. “People are lonely. People are wanting prayer and desiring to be cared about.” So far about half their care has gone to people within the congregation, the rest to people in the community. The service is free and completely confidential.

The nurses also offer health education for the community. This year they conducted several well-attended seminars, held in the church, on topics like grieving the loss of a loved one, heart health, and mental health. Some 60 people attended the session on depression.

“Parish nursing combines my love for the health profession with my passion for meeting people’s spiritual needs,” Wiebe says. “Arlene and I both have a passionate enthusiasm for parish nursing as a new outreach opportunity for our church. James 2:16 says we should not just say, ‘Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed, and do nothing about their physical needs.’ Faith in action is what will attract people.”

—from report by Karen Wiebe