Stories parish nurses tell about their role in wholistic healing through their work with parishioners

Abstract

The author conducted extensive interviews with three Canadian parish nurses in diverse settings about their experiences in this ministry over the past decade, with the goal of hearing narratives about how they influenced wholistic healing in their work with parishioners. The guiding theology heard in many of the stories was the healing power of Christ, where the nurses restored relationship between patient and God through their largely unconscious living out of the Gospel’s healing stories, both physical and spiritual. The nurses often address the deepest needs of their parishioners in the stories. These include the parishioners’ spiritual struggle, their lack of helpful relationships, their changing physical needs, their isolation and/or their need for advocacy. While parish nursing numbers have been falling in Canada, there is evidence that the wholistic healing they practice remains a valuable sign of the Church’s mission, particularly as the health care system shifts towards placing patients in community settings for their continuing care.