Parish nursing needs greater support

I want to thank Amy Cameron for her article on parish nursing in the March issue.
Last year General Assembly designated parish nursing a recognized ministry within the Presbyterian Church in Canada and Cameron captured the excitement of this.
The Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry has members from 25 faith denominations. The president is Lynn Judd, professor at the faculty of nursing, Mt. Royal College, Calgary, and a Presbyterian. The national coordinator is Frances Hudson, parish nurse for St. Paul's, Ingersoll, Ont.
The association relies on its membership fees, donations and sponsorship from denominations for its operating budget. Unfortunately, even with deep involvement by Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Church in Canada has not seen its way clear to be a sponsoring member of this leading edge ministry. Hopefully, in future budget deliberations this position will change.
If local Presbyterian congregations wish more information about parish nursing, courses and contacts, or wish to learn how they can raise funds or support the work of the association, I encourage you to visit www.capnm.ca
This year's annual convention and annual meeting will be held in Toronto from May 27-29. Information about this conference can be found on the web site.
Parish nursing emphasizes the wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Rooted in the vision of Christ the Healer, this ministry grows out of a belief that all faith communities are places of health and healing and the parish nurse has a ministry in promoting wholeness through the integration of faith and health.
Hopefully the Record will continue to write stories of the work being done in so many Presbyterian churches by the parish nurses and develop a regular column on faith and health.