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Meet Your Parish Nurses:
The Parish Nurse/Healthcare Ministry completed a health needs assessment in the spring of 2011 to help guide the direction of the ministry.
The 1st Monsignor King Health and Wellness Promotion Day was held in February 2012.
If you are interested in participating in this Ministry, please contact the office at 940-565-1770 and leave a message for the Parish Nurse.
For more information, please read on. The following was summarized/adapted from materials supplied by Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth Faith Community Nursing Program.
"Faith community nursing, a specialized practice of professional nursing, is caring for wholeness - mind, body, and spirit by combining the knowledge and skills of nursing practice with an understanding of the spiritual and religious beliefs that underlie health."
Parish Nursing, Congregational Nursing, and Faith Community Nursing are used to describe the same practice - the name chosen depends on the preference of the faith community. While there are different names in existence, they all represent the same mission and scope.
The faith community nurse provides the professional expertise for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a health ministry that incorporates the services of volunteers and works with a health committee to learn the health needs of the people in the faith community. Volunteers are needed for a successful health ministry program. Depending on their interests,
preparation, and skills, volunteers may participate in a variety of programs or events, such as blood pressure screenings, health fairs, etc.
Collaboration with participants in other church programs is integral for a health ministry program and an essential role of the faith community nurse.
History of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth Faith Community Nursing Program:
In 2001, the late Reverend Dr. Robert Davis, then Director of Pastoral Care Services at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital had a vision for a Parish Nurse Program. He shared his idea with Phyllis Norman, R.N.,
Vice President of Patient Care Services, and approving of the concept, referred him to Debbie Phillips, the hospital’s Director of Community Health and Education.
Through the hard work and dedication of these committed individuals, the Congregational Nursing program was born.
Mission Statement: The mission of Faith Community nursing is the intentional integration of the practice of faith with the practice of professional nursing to improve the health of the communities we serve.
The program consists of a hospital-based Faith Community Nursing coordinator working with a nurse within a faith community. The coordinator and the nurse become liaisons to health care by educating the faith community about health services, wellness and disease prevention and by visiting people in their homes to offer care and support. Each faith community designs their program to meet their needs.
A covenant relationship is one of mutual trust and understanding. It is this type of relationship that THFW desires to have with faith communities. The Congregational Health Ministry will enter into an agreement (the covenant) to provide professional, educational, and developmental support to the representative designated by the faith community to meet the needs of its members and to fulfill its spiritual commitment, which includes assisting with spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of health care.
No payment shall take place for the congregational health ministry services provided, however the faith community may make payment to THFW for any training or services outside the scope of the covenant.
Either party may terminate the covenant and it is understood that neither party is responsible for the actions of the other.