Parish nursing IS "real" nursing---vent

[Moogie]

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.

[Cyn2school]

I think Parrish Nursing would be best explained to the small minded persons that you seem to encounter as being very comparative to Public Health or Geriatric Nursing. Albeit with a smaller patient population. There are many churches actively seeking the expertise of Parrish Nurses. You are an educated Nurse, why buy into whomever "they" are. "No one can make you feel inferior with out your consent"Eleanor Roosevelt

[NurseKitten, MSN, RN]

Parish nursing IS real nursing, absolutely. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten calls late in the evening from either the pastor, alerting me to a need within the congregation with questions of her own about what is going on, or someone calling me directly. I get blood sugar questions, medication questions...I've seen more hind ends on Sunday morning when people grab me and pull me into the Sunday School room to show me the rash they got while working in the yard...I may not be providing "direct" care, but it's nursing, all right. It uses every BIT of my knowledge and background, and after all, what is nursing, but being willing vessels for His work?

[LethaChristina]

No kidding it's REAL nursing--politics and all! It takes the guts of Judas Maccabees to do--the reason our training is so tough! But that's what we LOVE, isn't it!