What is the history of parish nursing?
Parish nursing as we know it today was developed by a Lutheran minister, the Reverend Dr. Granger Westberg. Dr. Westberg originally envisioned parish nursing as a partnership between healthcare systems and congregations, linking resources of the healthcare system to the faith community. He recognized the church as being a place that promoted health and wholeness for centuries through worship, music, sharing, and caring. In addition, communities of faith are an institution that interacts with individuals from birth through death. Originally developed in 1984 as a partnership between Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, and six area congregations, the ecumenical movement has now become international in scope. Having a nurse in active congregational ministry provides a unique forum for health promotion and disease prevention. Members of a faith community, knowing that a nurse is available on an informal basis, can discuss a health concern with the nurse before it becomes a c
