How does one begin a parish nurse ministry?
Often the best way to learn about parish nursing is to locate a working parish nurse and spend time “shadowing.” Important early in the work is the philosophical considerations of parish nursing. Persons who focus on developing a parish nurse program should gain an appropriate mindset of the congregation as a health place in the community, health as being whole person oriented and more than physical, and the nurse as being other than the provider of medication, dressing changes and other physical care. Attending the Annual Westberg Symposium, a conference through the International Parish Nurse Resource Center, as well as the Indiana Center for Parish Nursing’s annual conference in the spring are excellent ways to learn about parish nursing and network with others who are involved in parish nursing. It is equally important to contact denominational offices to see what resource they may have available to assist in this work. Some denominations may have a designated parish nurse consultan
