A Note From the Parish Nurse Center

The basic parish nurse preparation class was held May 14 – 17, 2009 with 10 great participants. Three of the ten class members were sponsored from their home parish of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in Hamilton, Montana. We also had a participant from Alaska and one from North Dakota. Our diversity of Christian backgrounds made for a rich learning experience of sharing faith and how parish nursing or faith community nursing can be an asset to our faith communities. There are so many unique needs and God has gifted each of us with particular gifts to serve. I am always so pleased and blessed by the participants in this class who feel called to this unique healing ministry. I pray for them and their communities as they begin to serve in health ministry.

Twenty parish nurses from Montana and Wyoming gathered on the Carroll campus May 16-17 for a retreat titled That You May Be Well . Tammy Devine, RN, Diaconal Minister and Wellness Manager for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Board of Pensions, led both the retreat and class participants in a workshop centered on the Wholeness Wheel. The Wholeness Wheel helps us reflect on how spirituality encompasses the well-being of all areas of our life, including social/interpersonal, emotional, physical, financial, vocational and intellectual. Devine led us through the workshop and then taught us how to present the information to others. We worked in groups practicing our presentation skills so we are ready to offer this workshop at our individual faith communities.

We do not have plans for the next course but will continue to network with the International Parish Nurse Resource Center in St. Louis as they prepare for the 23 rd Annual Westberg Symposium: Opening Doors to Wholeness September 25 – 27, 2009 and with the regional programs of Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries in Portland.

Blessings to all and have a happy summer – Cynthia Gustafson and Sharlene Kolb

Retreat Pictures

 

Tammy Devine, Retreat Leader

 

Getting acquainted