Jennie E. Johnson RN-BC, PhD is the new NOW District Parish Nurse Council Rep. You can read more from her at: jenniejohnsonrn.com. You can also visit her booth at the NOW District Convention in June.
Several years ago, like so many pastors and nurses, I had absolutely no idea what a parish nurse was or that the LCMS had such an amazing ministry. I walked into a small church in Northern Idaho and encountered Christian nurses serving the needs of their congregation. It was a beautiful combination of nursing skills and Christian faith.
With a love for Jesus and people, any LCMS Christian nurse can become a parish nurse to guide people through health-related problems that many may encounter. Through nursing skills, spiritual gifts, and prayer, Jesus works through the Christian nurse to heal the body and the soul. We work very closely with our pastor, who is the leader of the church. Recently, a nurse asked me what she needed to do to win her pastor over to the idea of a volunteer parish nurse ministry. My answer is always the same: Attend Bible study and worship regularly and tell your pastor you’ll seek his approval for new ideas. He is responsible for the spiritual well-being of the church, and we report directly to him.
What Parish Nursing Is: The five areas of service are health counselor, referral source, facilitator, integrator of health and healing, and advocate. Parish nurses translate the medical jargon of the physician, offer resources, and advocate for strategies that improve health. We pray with the people we encounter and always encourage troubled ones to speak to their pastor for spiritual and emotional healing.
What It’s Not: We do not provide direct physical home healthcare, but do make suggestions for help. We do not replace the pastor or the physician. Our role is supportive.
Why Become a Parish Nurse: Many nurses are busy serving our Lord and greatly appreciated by their pastor. Some are retired while others are active in nursing. The LCMS National/International Parish Nurse organization is a network of Christian nurses with incredible resources and support for nurses wherever planted. All of us have different gifts and backgrounds, but what unites us is our love for Jesus and people.
Most of us our volunteers. I take blood pressures once a month after church service, which allows me to build relationships with members. The doors open when answering their health-related questions. My resources help families dealing with an aging loved one, a troubled teen, or a frightening medical condition.
My Northwest District Goals: Recently, I attended our LCMS Council District Representative meeting in Wisconsin. Representatives from across Synod attended and shared effective nursing ministry strategies that we could employ within our own districts. It was followed by our annual LCMS parish nurse conference. My goal is to eventually contact all the churches within our district and provide a letter that each pastor can email to their nurses to consider joining our network. I want to provide a monthly update to all our district parish nurses as well.
I became a parish nurse 12 years ago. My background is in cardiovascular nursing, caring for heart attack and stroke victims, and ultimately becoming an expert in prevention. My husband and I live on a mountain overlooking a lake in Northern Idaho. We’ve been blessed with three children and 10 young grandchildren. Finally, please stop by my booth at the NOW Disrict Convention this month. You can get your blood pressure checked, pick up something for a headache or first aid, and enjoy some mints and chocolate. I look forward to meeting you.
