Community Health Network is proud to have more than 30 parish nurses in locations across central Indiana.
The mission of Community’s parish nurses is to promote an integration of faith and health through positive lifestyles and activities within the religious community. Parish nurses seek to reach out to those who would benefit from involvement in their religious community. The goal for a parish nurse is to model self-care for the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs of life, and to assist others to do the same. Blending together the mind, body and spirit, parish nurses want to teach a holistic way of health.
Parish nursing, which is practiced within a faith community, is based on the assessed needs of an individual congregation. The parish nurse works with the pastor, church staff and health ministry committee to integrate faith and health in the congregation.
Parish nurses do not provide direct, hands-on care, but instead focus on:
- Health promotion
- Health maintenance
- Illness prevention
The parish nurse has many roles:
- Integrator of faith and health
- Health advocate
- Health educator
- Personal health counselor
- Referral agent
- Facilitator of volunteers
- Developer of support groups
The Community Health Network Foundation sponsors nurses in the basic nursing course at the University of Indianapolis.
Qualifications for sponsorship include:
- R.N. with at least three years of experience
- Employee or retiree of Community Health Network
- Partnership with a faith community that is supportive of the parish nurse program
- Spiritually mature
The Community Health Network Foundation pays 100% coverage of course fees if you are approved and accepted into a core-curriculum basic preparation course, certified by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. The program offers both credit and contact hours approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
For more information contact:
Sherry McIntyre, R.N., Parish Nurse Coordinator
317-621-7695
E-mail Sherry | 
