February 21, 2014

Hello Everyone,

Today I talked with Sandra Blaha, Assistant Coordinator (picture attached with permission) for the Cone Health Congregational Nurse Program.  We had a wonderful planning session to schedule my visits to assist the congregational nurses with various activities.  Originally, we planned to work together to implement an assessment project for measuring depression in the elderly.  This plan fell apart due to a lack of funding – it will be considered again at a later date.

Sandra Blaha, MSN, RN

Assistant Coordinator, Cone Health Congregational Nurse Program

I’d like to tell you a little about the Cone Congregational Health Nursing program.

Service Learning Site:

The Cone Health Congregational Nurse program is located in Greensboro, NC.  This program is based from Cone Health who is responsible for assisting community congregations with developing and implementing a Health Ministry Program Congregational Health Nursing

Faith community nursing is the specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit assisting patients to maintain and/or regain wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.  The Cone Congregational Health Nurses are licensed, registered nurses who practice holistic health using nursing knowledge combined with spiritual care.

The faith community nurses function in paid and unpaid positions as members of the pastoral team in a variety of religious faiths, and cultures.  Their practice is governed by the North Carolina Nurse Practice Act, the Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards and the Nursing Code of Ethics.  The goal of the Faith Community Nurse is the:

• Protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities
• Prevention of illness and injury
• Responding to suffering in the context of values, beliefs and practices of a faith community such as a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque (Cone Health Congregational Health Nursing).

The Cone Health Congregational Nurse Program began in 1998 and decided to call itself the “congregational” to be inclusive of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Greensboro, NC.  The program is marketed to the faith community by various methods (mailings, focus groups, referrals, presentations).  The Congregational Health Nurse is an independent contractor with the church, not a Cone Health employee.  Congregational Nurses are expected to provide personal counseling, health screenings, health promotion activities, educational programs (4/yr), advocacy, and facilitation of care giving within the congregation.
 

The Cone Health Congregational Health Nursing program formed a partnership with the Guilford County Department of Public Health to promote wellness within the community. 

Clients Served by the Congregational Health Nursing Program:

• Uninsured working
• Poor and/or homeless
• Immigrants
• Elderly on fixed income
• Members of congregations participating in the health ministry program

Needs Provided by the Congregational Health Nursing Program:   

• Assessing health needs for the faith community
• Providing screening clinics
• Making home, hospital or nursing home visits
• Referring parishioners to appropriate health or social services agencies
• Offering educational programs to address specific congregational needs
• Coordinating with volunteers for supportive ministries

Agency Funding Support:

The Congregational Nurse Program is a nursing practice established as a collaborative relationship between Cone Health and the area’s faith community.  This program was established in 1998 with grants from the Cone Health Foundation.   Cone Health continues to provide on-going financial support with grant funding and community donations.

More to come…