As the number of parish nurses grow, it is important to understand the unique attributes of providing nursing care in a congregation. Through a focus group and interviews, this qualitative research study explored this question with 17 parish nurses participating in a hospital-sponsored, volunteer health ministry program. Content analysis revealed the nurses felt they had the greatest impact through health promotion and prevention, advocacy, health education, and health counseling, including psychosocial support and spiritual care. The nurses appreciated the unique opportunities afforded by the congregational setting including integrating faith and health in nursing practice, the more relaxed environment, the opportunity for long-term relationships, and the level of professional autonomy. Challenges were experienced from the client's autonomy, the impact of religious beliefs, the nurse's worship experience, and time constraints. This study demonstrates that parish nurses can provide a valuable adjunct to the traditional care system as they practically and conceptually integrate faith and health.

Over the past 15 years, a growing number of nurses have been working with congregations as parish nurses and in other community health nursing roles. The majority of related research has focused on describing nursing activities in congregational settings. This qualitative research study sought to understand the client's experience of receiving nursing care in the context of a congregation. Eleven individuals, who utilized nursing services provided in 2 urban Catholic churches, were interviewed. Content analysis revealed distinctive attributes participants experienced in the nurse-client interaction, including the manner of care, the focus of care, and the outcomes achieved. The ambiance, convenience, time for interaction, and reflection of the connection between faith and health were seen as distinctive characteristics of the congregational setting. Community health nurses need to be aware of the impact of setting on clients and the potential synergistic effect achieved through providing health services in a congregation.

Over the past 15 years, a growing number of nurses have been working with congregations as parish nurses and in other community health nursing roles. The majority of related research has focused on describing nursing activities in congregational settings. This qualitative research study sought to understand the client's experience of receiving nursing care in the context of a congregation. Eleven individuals, who utilized nursing services provided in 2 urban Catholic churches, were interviewed. Content analysis revealed distinctive attributes participants experienced in the nurse-client interaction, including the manner of care, the focus of care, and the outcomes achieved. The ambiance, convenience, time for interaction, and reflection of the connection between faith and health were seen as distinctive characteristics of the congregational setting. Community health nurses need to be aware of the impact of setting on clients and the potential synergistic effect achieved through providing health services in a congregation.

A growing number of nurses are working with congregations in churches, synagogues, and mosques, trying to promote health through integrating religious beliefs and health knowledge. The concept of health ministry guides nursing practice when working with congregations. This ethnographic study aims to understand the meaning and experience of health ministry within the culture of a congregation with a parish nurse examining both emic and etic perspectives. Utilizing participant observation, interviews, and reviews of written documents, an ethnography was created of an ethnically diverse, urban United Methodist congregation with a volunteer parish nurse. Two forms of health ministry were found within the congregation, which the investigator named extrinsic and intrinsic health ministry. Extrinsic health ministry included activities whose explicit purpose was to promote health. Intrinsic health ministry included activities and experiences within congregational life whose express purpose was something other than health promotion, yet participants identified it as promoting their health. Implications for transcultural nurses include using knowledge of congregational cultures to facilitate culturally congruent health ministry.

The rapidly changing healthcare environment and burgeoning healthcare costs offer a unique opportunity for the church to reclaim her biblical and historic foundations for ministries of health, healing, and wholeness. This article proposes a framework for those foundations significant to church culture, considered in light of the challenges and opportunities created by the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Practical applications for health ministry based on the framework are provided.