Convention Workbook

PARISH NURSING/HEALTH MINISTRY
Report from Marla Lichtsinn, RN,
MPA, FCN
PSD Parish Nurse Representative to
LCMS Human Care/Health Ministries
The past triennium has been a busy – and
blest! – time for health ministers in PSD.
Creativity and frugality have helped to address
gaps where budget cuts occurred. Mentoring
and sharing of resources have also bolstered
spirits in our sparse ranks.
Analysis of Health/Wellness Ministries in
PSD
In the Pacific Southwest District – a
geographic area including southern California,
southern Nevada and all of Arizona, with over
300 congregations – less than 8% of
PSD/LCMS congregations have reported a
Health/Wellness component to their Human
Care ministries, and only 17 parish nurses
(PNs) or (non-nurse) health ministry
coordinators (HMCs) have been identified,
serving only 5% of our congregations. A
twenty-question survey of PNs and HMCs
was completed in Summer, 2011, yielding the
following information:
▪ 15 Registered Nurses, one Licensed
Vocational Nurse and one Deacon
responded to the survey, reporting 10
with less than 5 years of service, three
with 6-10 years, none with 11-15 years,
three with 16-20 years, and only one
with more than 20 years of service to
their congregations.
▪ Three parish nurses receive hourly wages
from their congregations; the remaining
14 respondents
are unpaid volunteers. No benefits are
offered to 13 of the 17; three reported
receiving mileage reimbursement; one
receives an allowance for continuing
education; one is provided liability
insurance coverage; and, one is provided
a licensure fee.
▪ Fifteen survey respondents reported
licensure as Registered Nurses with four
diplomas, two Associate Degrees, six
have Baccalaureate Degrees and three
received Master’s Degrees with over 500
years of combined nursing experience in
such areas as critical care, gerontology,
pediatrics, hospice, education, home
health, community/public health,
obstetrics, emergency care, school
nursing and infectious diseases.
▪ While the needs and interests of each
congregation determine the scope of the
PN’s/HMC’s service, respondents
reported the primary functions as
health education, personal health
counseling, advocacy, visitation and
liaison/referral to community agencies.
▪ Congregational size was reported by
respondents as follows: five with less
than 250 members; an additional five
with 251-500; another five with 501-
1000; two have 1001-5000 members.
Communities in which these
congregations exist range in size from
“small town” of 2,500-49,999 by four
PNs/HMCs; “suburban” of 50,000-
250,000 by twelve; and “urban” more
than 250,000 by one.
▪ Survey respondents were asked what
educational and/or support services
they have or need:
basic parish nurse programs (e.g.,
Concordia University, Mequon WI), lay
leadership training gerontology
coursework, monthly “HealthNotes”
articles (written by PSD Parish Nurse
Representative and available at PSD-
LCMS and Wheat Ridge Ministries
websites) to be most valuable. Support
services such as parish nurse networking
groups, pastoral support, and clinical
education and experience were cited as
well. Needed are workshops on
collaboration with community-based
service providers, congregational and
pastoral “endorsement”, budgetary
support and more opportunities to
network with peers.
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