Rideau Park United Church

 

SA&O Information Bulletin

Social Action and Outreach Committee
Rideau Park United Church
May, 2006

The Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry (CAPNM) is committed to the development of parish nursing as a health and ministry resource within Canada.

The concept of parish nursing began in Europe, arriving in the United States in the mid-1980’s, and spreading to Canada less than a decade later, as early as 1992. Thousands of nurses are currently active in the ministry. As interest in this ministry began to grow across Canada and as parish nursing began to be practiced in various locations, there was a need to bring the people and organizations involved together for the purpose of networking and establishing common purposes and strategies. Parish Nursing is a health ministry of faith communities that emphasizes the wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Rooted in the vision of Christ as Healer, this ministry grows out of the belief that all faith communities are places of health and healing and have a role in promoting wholeness through the integration of faith and health.

Parish Nursing is recognized as an essential dimension in the integration of faith and health within diverse faith communities throughout Canada. A parish nurse is a registered nurse with specialized knowledge, who is called to ministry and affirmed by a faith community to promote health, healing and wholeness. The role of a parish nurse is to promote the integration of faith and health in a variety of ways that reflect the context of the faith community. Specific examples include: Health Advocacy; Health Counseling; Health Education and Resource Referral.

The Parish Nursing Interest Group (PNIG) is one of a number of Interest Groups, affiliate and associate groups of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) who act as the voice and forum for specialized areas of the nursing profession. PNIG supports and encourages parish nurses in their wholistic health ministries.

As an interest group of RNAO, to actively support the initiatives of RNAO:

• To provide a forum for communication and exchange of ideas
• To promote awareness of the roles of parish nurses and to serve as liaison with RNAO, CNA and other groups in promoting certification of parish nurses
• To provide professional support for parish nurses
• To encourage the formation of liaison groups throughout Ontario
• To support implementation of standards of practice for parish nursing
• To encourage participation of parish nurses in education and research
• To ascertain the feasibility of the PNIG being a corporate group member in the Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry

For additional information please go to their website: www.capnm.ca

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”     Micah 6:8