Parish nursing IS "real" nursing---vent

Just whining a little bit because I was feeling burned out. I remembered that one of the barriers to my parish nurse practice in my former congregation was the resistance of some of the members. Had a couple of people, including a pastor, tell me that parish nursing was not "real nursing" because I didn't give shots, didn't dress wounds, didn't put people on bedpans.

I'm in a different church now with a very supportive pastor---in fact, he's almost too supportive because he's chomping at the bit wanting me to get going with a parish nurse program here. He saw what I did in my previous congregation and would like me to do something similar. It's a little hard because the previous church was suburban-metropolitan and my current church is rural---plus I was working full time (yes, as a "real" nurse, giving shots, dressing wounds and putting people on bedpans!) I didn't have the energy to get going again.

My work situation is different now; I left my former job, in part because of the stress. Now I'm feeling like I'd like the challenge of parish nursing again.

Thanks, O2BSN2B, for a much-needed shot in the backside.