faith community nursing
Faith Community Nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that promotes intellectual, social, spiritual, and psychological health within faith communities. Recognizing that health is more than the absence of disease, a Faith Community Nurse is knowledgeable in both professional nursing and spiritual care.
Congregations already promote health through worship, music, caring and sharing. Adding a registered nurse to the ministry team can enhance this promotion with the knowledge and guidance of a congregation's whole health need. The "HEALTH" roles of a Faith Community Nurse include:
Health Counselor: Discusses individual needs regarding illness and medications, prevention and wellness, and gives reassurance during times of crisis.
Educator: Promotes the relationship between faith, health, attitudes, and lifestyle choices through bulletin articles, literature racks and education programs.
Advocate: Identifies the medically under-insured, indigent, or abandoned members of the congregation who need support for decision-making about health care issues.
Liaison: Connects congregational members to each other in response to needs as well as appropriate services within the community and government agencies.
Trainer: Recruits, prepares and supervises volunteers in health and pastoral ministries. Provides information and/or education to assist them in their role.
Healer: Facilitates a whole person approach to healing of body, mind and spirit.
community program
Sister Marilyn Trowbridge, RN, founded South Carolina's first Parish Nurse Program and Volunteer Parish Nurse Partnership at St. Francis in 1995. With it, she created one of St. Francis' most active preventive health ministries. Recognized as a regional center of excellence for Faith Community Nurse training, St. Francis has prepared more than 45 individuals for work as Faith Community Nurses throughout the state. Taught to combine their healing abilities with the disciplines of worship, service and education, Faith Community Nurses work to promote whole-person (physical and spiritual) health and wellness within faith communities.
St. Francis' Faith Community Nursing program is based on the Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. When establishing a Faith Community Nurse nurse for your congregation, we will:
- Develop a Faith Community Nurse program that fits your congregations unique needs
- Assist in the recruitment and hiring including background check, verification of references and licensure
- Provide educational and spiritual programs for covenanted Faith Community Nurses
- Meet monthly with covenanted nurses to discuss ongoing pastoral practice, resources, needs, education and provide mutual support
- Consult with congregational leadership to support work of the Faith Community Nurse and Health Ministers
- Facilitate annual collaborative evaluation using national Standards of Faith Community Nursing Practice
- Provide access to the Bon Secours Health Community web site
St. Francis continues to support Faith Community Nurses and health ministers in the Greenville area with group meetings. Professional speakers, networking and resources are provided at each meeting, which is open to to all faiths and denominations. The group meets the second Thursday of each month. Contact us at 864-351-9968 for more information about the group or to start developing a Faith Community Nurse Ministry in your church.
St. Francis Faith Community Nurses
St. Francis employs three Faith Community Nurses that serve communities near ST. FRANCIS downtown. They live out the Bon Secours mission of bringing "good help to those in need" by promoting compassion, liberation and healing in extending the charism of the Sisters of Bon Secours to these communities.
Robert Hayes, RN, Faith Community Nursing Program Manager
Serves the Sterling Community and Mulberry Court
864-351-9968
Jean Lilley, RN, BSN
Serves Triune Mercy Center and the Homeless
864-293-9479
Sara Ostendorff, RN, BSN, MSW
Serves St. Anthony's of Padua Catholic Church and the West Greenville Community
864-351-9729
