Interested in Parish Nursing? Four things you need to know!
By Sue Neff, RN Parish Nurse
In this blog post, I want to share resources and education opportunities for nurses interested in the Parish Nursing ministry.
First, I would direct people to the LCMS website for an overview of above options on the Parish Nursing page. This will give the viewer information on LCMS-based facilities that have training for Parish Nurses.
Second, as Lutheran Parish Nurses – although there are a multitude of training programs available – we encourage nurses to take advantage of the training through one of the universities listed: Concordia University-Wisconsin or Concordia-Seward, or through the training facilitated by LCMS-St. Louis.
Third, I would highly recommend attending the annual Parish Nurse Conference, which is held at the end of May at Concordia University-Wisconsin. This year, the conference will be held on May 25-26. This conference is a great way to network with other Parish Nurses from around the United States. Whether you are a nurse interested in Parish Nursing, or are a Parish Nurse who has been practicing for many years, this conference will meet your needs. Keynote speakers and breakout sessions will add to the valuable information you will gain at this conference. For more information, contact Carol.luedersbolwerk@cuw.edu.
Finally, another arm of Parish Nursing is Lutheran Parish Nurses International, NFP. This is a non-profit, network organization that connects nurses in different countries around the world. Since 2010, we have organized international study tours to learn the culture and the practice of Parish Nursing in different countries. Thus far, we have visited Palestine, Australia, Finland, USA, New Zealand and Germany. This year, we will be traveling to Brazil, where there will be an opportunity to visit a remote village along the Amazon River to minister to the village residents. Future international study tours will include England in 2017. For more information, please log onto Lutheran Parish Nurses International at lpni.org
If I can be of assistance, please contact me. Blessings as you discern this special calling!
Sue Neff, RN Parish Nurse, is the District Representative for Parish Nursing, LCMS-English District. Contact her via email at sneff@youhaveaplace.com or call her at (619) 444-7444 (work).