A Parish Nurse works through the church, offering spiritual as well as physical and mental care. She/he is a registered nurse with community experience, serving the church as well as the local community.

The first task of a Parish Nurse will be to develop good relationships with local health staff. This takes time, but the fact that the nurse is working to the code of professional practice will be important in that relationship. GP practices are keen to find ways of encouraging patients toward better self-care and community support, so the appointment of a parish nurse will help this. Responsibilities of a Parish Nurse include “to work at developing good, communicative, team relationships with professional colleagues in both NHS and church structures” and “to develop a service that is complementary to NHS provision and not in competition with it”. She/he is also required “not to engage in any nursing intervention or advice that is beyond that for which she/he has been adequately trained”.

Parish Nursing is offered to people of all faiths and none, and although firmly rooted in a Christian understanding of health and wholeness, is offered unconditionally. It is a responsibility of a Parish Nurse “to have respect for the religious convictions of clients and to refer on to other faith communities and agencies as appropriate”.

As with Hospital chaplaincy, Parish nurses do not put pressure on people to change their religion or denomination … part of the training is to ensure that when alternative sources of spiritual help are needed or requested, appropriate referral is made. Clients will always know the church from which the nurse is operating and will always have the option to choose to be referred to someone from their own denomination or not to receive any further help from this source.

A parish nurse is a member of the ministry team and acts as

• Health Educator for congregation and community
• Personal Health Adviser in the team
• Referral Agent
• Trainer and Co-ordinator of Volunteers
• Developer of Support Groups
• Health Advocate
• Integrator of Faith and Health

A Parish Nurse co-ordinates, mobilises, educates and supports others in serving the community. She/he is not aiming to do all the work alone, but to help maximise the ministry of the whole church. With just one day a week, a Parish Nurse makes an average of 400 contacts per year.

One requirement of a Parish Nurse is that She/he works at “developing good, communicative, team relationships with professional colleagues in both NHS and church structures”. This would include communication and development of understanding among ecumenical networks. A Parish Nurse would refer someone to their own denomination if requested by the client.

Responsibilities of a Parish Nurse include “to work at developing good, communicative, team relationships with professional colleagues in both NHS and church structures” and “to develop a service that is complementary to NHS provision and not in competition with it”. She/he is also required “not to engage in any nursing intervention or advice that is beyond that for which she/he has been adequately trained”.

There are people of different faiths in most areas; does a Parish Nurse also help a Muslim or Jewish family? Parish Nursing is offered to people of all faiths and none, and although firmly rooted in a Christian understanding of health and wholeness, is offered unconditionally. It is a responsibility of a Parish Nurse “to have respect for the religious convictions of clients and to refer on to other faith communities and agencies as appropriate”.

As with Hospital chaplaincy, Parish nurses do not put pressure on people to change their religion or denomination … part of the training is to ensure that when alternative sources of spiritual help are needed or requested, appropriate referral is made. Clients will always know the church from which the nurse is operating and will always have the option to choose to be referred to someone from their own denomination or not to receive any further help from this source.

A parish nurse is a member of the ministry team and acts as

• Health Educator for congregation and community
• Personal Health Adviser in the team
• Referral Agent
• Trainer and Co-ordinator of Volunteers
• Developer of Support Groups
• Health Advocate
• Integrator of Faith and Health

A Parish Nurse is an accountable member of her/his church ministry team and accountable to its leader; and is accountable to her/his spiritual and professional advisers in both personal/professional development and the growth of the ministry.

Most people with health needs spend very little time in hospital or hospices, where spiritual care happens through chaplaincy. Unless their need is known by a local minister, people may receive very little in the way of spiritual care in the community, other than that occasionally offered through community mental health teams, or cancer care nurses.

Community health services are limited and have to be directed to the most needy. So what about those who do not need home treatments or injections? Is anyone there to make the connections between all the services that are available? To explain things that are not understood? To signpost people to appropriate agencies? Is anyone there to recruit and coordinate volunteer help? To encourage self-help? To promote a healthy lifestyle for faith groups, and the communities they serve?

Professional nurses are trained to coordinate appropriate care around the health needs of an individual or community. Many entered nursing because they felt a sense of vocation arising from their faith commitment. Most church communities have at least one registered nurse in the congregation. Yet their skills may not be recognised or used within the faith community. And in the NHS, staff are not encouraged to speak of faith even when a patient or client asks.

But the NHS recognises that spiritual care is important, and it is also looking for sustainable ways to involve the third sector. The church derives its wholistic view of health from the ministry of Jesus and is looking for sustainable ways to be missional in its practical work, and pastoral in its mission initiatives.

Responsibilities of a Parish Nurse include “to work at developing good, communicative, team relationships with professional colleagues in both NHS and church structures” and “to develop a service that is complementary to NHS provision and not in competition with it”. She/he is also required “not to engage in any nursing intervention or advice that is beyond that for which she/he has been adequately trained”.

Parish Nursing is offered to people of all faiths and none, and although firmly rooted in a Christian understanding of health and wholeness, is offered unconditionally. It is a responsibility of a Parish Nurse “to have respect for the religious convictions of clients and to refer on to other faith communities and agencies as appropriate”.

As with Hospital chaplaincy, Parish nurses do not put pressure on people to change their religion or denomination … part of the training is to ensure that when alternative sources of spiritual help are needed or requested, appropriate referral is made. Clients will always know the church from which the nurse is operating and will always have the option to choose to be referred to someone from their own denomination or not to receive any further help from this source.