Palm Valley Parish Nurse Program Promoting Health Through Ministry
The Church s Historic Role in Health Care Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! 1 Samuel 6:25 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Matthew 4:23 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2
Summary of Proposal Description Parish nurses promote health in a community by identifying health needs within congregations Health Educator Counselor of matters related to health and spirituality Coordinator of health promotion services Referral source on issues related to health and healing Promote the concept of holistic care An approach to life or health that considers the whole person Emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit Parish nurses serve as the link between the assessed needs of individuals and the healthcare resources within a community The Social Ministry Committee of Palm Valley Lutheran Church in Round Rock, Texas, requested my help to establish a Parish Nurse Program
Community Problem Community Problem Health care system in U.S. tends to focus more on the disease instead of the patient Compassion is lost in today s high- tech medical milieu Spiritual dimension of healing is often ignored Health promotion is essential Facing chronic illness and end of life issues also essential
Writing Problem Palm Valley Lutheran Church is a non-profit organization that depends on the contributions of congregation members to fund operations No available budget for the Parish Nurse Program Under the leadership of the Social Ministry Committee Eyeglass recycling Meals-on on-wheels Round Rock Serving Center Neither the pastors nor the Social Ministry Committee members have ever been involved in this type of health ministry
Writing Problem, cont. Because of the lack of available funding and expertise of the members and pastors involved, several writing and research needs were identified: Researching other congregations with Parish Nurse Programs Researching liability issues related to Parish Nursing Defining and documenting the goals of the program Surveying the congregation members to assess specific health needs and concerns Health ministry training for those participating in the program Temple Talks Writing and editing bulletin articles and newsletters Locating resources for free patient education material Developing brochures for congregation-specific education material Creating a master calendar with a schedule of services Coordinating outside services or speakers (preferably free of charge)
Solution: Research and Write The solution to this larger community problem is the formation of a Parish Nurse Program The writing problem will be addressed with the assistance of a technical documentation consultant Due to a lack of funding, the brochures and newsletters will be in black and white and photocopied at the church for distribution PALM VALLEY PARISH NURSE PROGRAM Promoting Health Through Ministry
Writing Objectives To establish a Parish Nurse Program as an active project of the Social Ministry Committee To document the congregation's expectations of a Parish Nurse Program To develop a master schedule of activities based on the congregation's needs To write and distribute a quarterly newsletter related to Health Ministry
Additional Information Membership: Ten members total Three RN s One Associate Pastor Meetings: : Every other month Research programs Assemble team Timeline Temple Talks Survey Document design Document delivery September October November December
Analysis of Discourse Community: The Members Established in early 1800 s by Swedish settlers on donated land Name and congregation established in 1870 s Diverse membership wide variety of age, education, professions Some family memberships date back to original congregation, other memberships more recent Diversity nice, but can cause conflict Growth, new programs, etc. Leaders primarily consist of pastors and council members Membership on committees is voluntary
Analysis of Discourse Community: The Writing Fairly narrow scope of documentation Pastors, secretary, committee secretaries Committee minutes typed in Word and posted on bulletin board Weekly church bulletin typed in Word Website Monthly newsletter: Echoes Produced in MS Publisher Design conventions: No specific style sheet or guide in use Approximately 4 pages in length, 2-sided2 Ariel (16 point) for headings, centered Times New Roman (12 point) font for text, left-justified Articles may be written in first-person Overall style is conversational Congregation members are the primary audience
Technical Documents Bulletin Announcement The Social Ministry Committee at Palm Valley is in the process of forming a Parish Nurse Program. Your first question may be, "What exactly is a Parish Nurse Program?" Parish Nursing, (one( of many Health Ministry models,) is a program that addresses the holistic health of a congregation. More specifically, ly, a Parish Nurse is a Registered Nurse (who( develops interventions that) focuses on the spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions of wellness and illness. (The( Parish Nurse is someone who) Parish Nursing programs educate and counsel congregation members based on their unique needs and health priorities. In order to develop a program that will best meet your needs, we need your input regarding what health-related issues are important to you. Please complete the short survey in this week's bulletin. When completed, please drop your survey into the collection box before e you leave church today. Thanks for your participation and stay tuned to Echoes for more information on this exciting new program!
Parish Nurse Program Survey The Social Ministry Committee at Palm Valley is in the process of o forming a Parish Nurse Program. Your input is a valuable part of our process. You can help by completing this short survey: 1. Are you interested in attending health-related activities, such as health fairs or educational presentations, at Palm Valley? Yes No 2. If so, when is the best time for you to attend events like these? Created in Power Point Distributed 475 surveys on 10/26/03 following Temple Talks Collected in boxes for two successive Sundays Weekdays Saturdays Evenings Afternoons Sundays 3. Please indicate the category of topics in which you are most interested: Preventive Medicine/Wellness Fitness Nutrition Chronic Illness Family Health Aging Emotional onal Health Spiritual Health Other 4. Please indicate the type of program in which you are most interested: Literature Discussion Group Speaker Class Other 5. Please indicate your age group and gender: <20 20-29 29 30-39 39 40-49 49 50-59 59 60-69 69 70-79 79 80+ Male Female Please add any additional comments or suggestions below: Thank you! Please drop your survey into a collection box on your way out of church today.
475 surveys distributed N=50 (10%) Results analyzed in Excel Survey Results Parish Nurse Program Survey Results 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Yes No Weekdays Evenings Afternoons Saturdays Sundays
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Survey Results Survey Results Parish Nurse Program Survey Results Nutrition Emotional Health Chronic Illness Family Health Spiritual Health Other Literature Class Discussion Group Speaker Other Aging Preventive Medicine Fitness
Survey Results 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 <20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80+ Male Female
Other Technical Documents: Newsletter Created in Publisher 98 Mailed with Echoes Produced quarterly Cover story Table of contents Upcoming events Ask the Parish Nurse Seasonal information Volume 1,Issue 1 Palm Valley s First Parish Nurse Program Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! is Just Around the Corner! 1 Samuel 6:25 The Social Ministry Committee is pleased to introduce a new program at Palm Valley: the Parish Nurse Pr o- gram. On Sunday, October 26th, Pat Steger gave Te m- ple Talks at all three worship services to discuss this exciting new ministry. Some of you may already be familiar with this uni que form of Health Ministry, but the rest of you may be asking yourselves, Just what is a Parish Nurse Program and why does Pal m Valley need one? In case you missed the Temple Talk, here is a little bit of the history of both nursing in general and, more specifically, Parish Nursing. While Florence Nightengale is generally recognized as the pioneer of the profession of nursing, other r e- search shows that some of the first nurses were act u- ally nuns. The history of the church is filled with e x- amples of care and concern for those who have su f- fered from illness and today we even have entire health care systems managed by religious -based o r- ganizations. The church s historical commitment to health care stems from Christ s example of healing the sick. When Jesus commi ssioned His disciples to spread Inside this issue: What is Parish Nursing? 1 Survey Results 1 Upcoming Events 2 Flu Season Information 2 Ask the Parish Nurse 2 Worth the Weight? 2 Palm Valley Parish Nurse Program Newsletter And the Survey Said December 2003 the gospel, acts of healing the sick were a central part of that message. This is a message that Christians have taken very ser iously throughout history. Parish Nursing is a concept that began in the late 1980 s when Granger Westberg, a Lutheran pastor, chaplain and professor at the Chicago University School of Medicine, became aware of the close rel a- tio nship between health and spirituality. As more r e- search further established the mind -body -spirit co n- ne ction, church -based programs began to evolve that focused on promoting a holistic approach to health. Thus, the foundation of Parish Nursing is health pr o- motion and wellness education. Some examples of Pa r- ish Nurse Program activities might include: Health fairs, seminars, health promotion classes, blood pre s- sure screenings, and referrals for health -related i s- sues. Our goal with this program is to meet your health needs. During the Temple Talks, Pat asked you to co m plete a short survey so we could determine what those needs were. The results of the survey are below. Stay tuned to Echoes each month to find out more about this exciting new program! Results of the Parish Nurse Program Survey Of the 475 surveys distributed at the October 26th services, 50 were returned. According to the survey results, these are the k inds of things you want to see from the Parish Nurse Program: Information on Preventive Medicine, Fitness, and Spiritual Health Classes, discussion groups and guest speakers Health fairs FYI: The majority of the respondents were either in the 40-49 or 60-69 year - old age range and were female. Thanks t o everyone who participated! As we implement this program, we will first focus on the needs you identified. It will be exciting to see how this program will grow and evolve. Good health to you!
Other Technical Documents: Brochure PALM VALLEY PARISH NURSE PROGRAM PALM VALLEY PARISH NURSE PROGRAM Promoting Health Through Ministry Would you like to learn more about healthy lifestyle behaviors? Would you like to better understand strategies for maintaining your health and preventing illness? Did you know that there is a connection that exists between your spiritual and your physical health? The Bible is filled with scripture passages in which God encourages good health and abundant life for us. We have a responsibility to develop skills to change unhealthy behaviors, cope with illness, and address end of life issues. Health Ministry is just one way the church carries on Jesus emphasis on health and healing and Parish Nursing is one aspect WHAT WE OFFER... The Parish Nurse Program is managed by the Social Ministry Committee. The Committee and the Parish Nurses develop programs to meet the unique health needs of the congregation. Currently at Palm Valley, the events and services we offer include: Health Education Literature and Classes Monthly Newsletters Blood Pressure Screenings Health Fairs Blood Drives Referrals For or more information about the services offered by the Parish Nurse Program, read our monthly newsletter in Echoes or contact: The Social Ministry Committee ~or~ Pastor Gary Morgan-Gohlke Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! 1 Samuel 6:25 of that ministry.
Other Technical Documents: Handbook Parish Nurse Program Mission & Guidelines Parish Nurse Program Mission & Guidelines AN INTRODUCTION TO HOLISTIC HEALTH TABLE OF CONTENTS History of Parish Nursing 1 PALM VALLEY PARISH NURSE PROGRAM Promoting Health Through Ministry Mission & Guidelines Holistic Health is an approach to life.it considers the whole person and emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Several scripture passages serve as examples of how the Bible addresses health in a holistic manner. Having spiritual and physical health is a blessing to be enjoyed, appreciated, and preserved. The mind-body connection has been well documented throughout the years and many studies have shown that spiritual health can have a profound impact on physical health and healing. Additionally, for many Christians there has always been a compelling need to live a faith-based life concerning practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors, coping with acute and chronic illness, and facing end of life issues. As Christ did, it is the church s responsibility to minister to the mind, body, and spirit with compassion. Prepared by the Social Ministry Committee 2003 Mission and Goals of Parish Nursing 2 Guidelines for Parish Nurses 3 Parish Nurse Resources 5 Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! 1 Samuel 6:25
Other Technical Documents: Calendar January 2004 Created in Publisher Monthly (may go to yearly) Events pending Contact information CALENDAR OF EVENTS PALM VALLEY PARISH NURSE PROGRAM Promoting Health Through Ministry Calendar of Events S UN M ON T UE W ED T HU F RI S AT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Blood Drive 9:00-1:00 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Usability Testing Target audience: Social Ministry Committee members (6) Congregation members (1) Before What information do you already know about the Palm Valley Parish h Nurse Program? What information do you expect to learn from this material? During Draw wavy lines under confusing sentences or sentences you have to re-read. read. Point out what elements about the style or design seem too friendly or too formal. What, if anything, about the design of the brochure or newsletter r turns you off? After What questions do you still have about the Parish Nurse Program? What about the material makes you want to take advantage of the services offered by the program?
Usability Testing: Results and Revisions Information Already Known Educational tool; outreach and referral tool for parish members; knew very little outside of what was discussed in Temple Talks Information Expect to Learn Information about health issues that may not pertain to them now,, but may be useful later; goals of the program; availability of the program; enrollment lment information; who s involved; who s in charge Confusing Sentences None the group did not cite any needed changes in content Parts Too Friendly or Formal Yep was unexpectedly informal, however, the member liked it and d wanted it to stay Turn-offs Font size too small on 2nd page of newsletter; text on flu information is too dense Still Have Questions (Missing Information) More specific contact information; need to list phone numbers; add a information about blood drive Persuasive Information Clip art selections; well-balanced graphics and white space; choice of words ( no wasted words )
What s Next? Display brochure January blood drive Small group discussions on preventive medicine topics during Sunday Adult Forum Quarterly newsletter Possible link on website
Questions?!?!