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Parish Nurse Program

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“For I will restore you to health; of your wounds I will heal you, says the Lord.”
- Jeremiah 30:17

What does a Parish Nurse do?

Befrienders

Judy Fetherston, R.N. is St. James Lutheran Church's Parish Nurse and she would like to hear from you! Please call if you would like to request a personal visit, phone call or specific health or resource information. She is typically at church on church on Tuesday from 10 am until 6 pm and at other times by appointment. To reach Judy, call the church office at 845-6922, ext. 234. If your request is urgent and Judy is unavaiable, please contact the office staff, so they can contact her by cell phone. You may also contact her at jfetherston@stjamesverona.org

The Parish Nurse role includes:

• Member visitation and communion in one’s home, nursing home, hospital or long term care facility.
• Provides emotional support and information by phone.
• Provides resources and problem-solves with parishioners as the need arises.
• Is actively involved with the parishioners and families on the Prayer & Military list; offering visitation and a greeting card ministry.
• Prayerfully provides prayer shawls for comfort as the need arises.
• Offers parishioners educational handouts on current health issues.
• Provides bereavement follow-up visits and grieving material mailings to family members.
• Participates in and is supported by the Health & Wellness Committee.
• Attends weekly staff meetings to keep the staff apprised of the ministry’s activities and receive staff feedback and input regarding parishioner needs.

The Parish Nurse Coordinates:

• Prayer Shawl Ministry workshops and blessing services.
• Monthly blood pressure checks on the 2nd Sunday of each month between services.
• The annual fall flu shot clinic in conjunction with Home Health United.
• The collection of congregational gifts for the FFA/Toys for Tots Christmas gift drive, working with Kevin Hoffman, a teacher at Verona Area High School.
• Provide weekly stretching and exercise classes for all ages during the spring and fall, coordinating with Diane Fronek.
• Scheduling of CPR/AED instruction.

As a member of the Befriender Planning Ministry, the Parish Nurse:

• Schedules HospiceCare Inc.grief series in spring and fall.
• Provides CareNotes for parishioners in need.
• Assists with Befriender meeting planning, agenda and mailings.
• Works with Audrey Hagen on the quarterly prayer list card ministry.
• Coordinates with planning committee the annual “Healing After Loss” service.  

Parish nursing is a calling; a spiritual practice which puts the gospel into action. It is congregationally-based nursing care of the whole person and how they relate to their family and congregation. It recognizes the need for balance between the mind, body and soul with an emphasis on spiritual care.

It is a health promotion, disease prevention role encompassing seven functions:
integrator of health and healing; health advocate; health educator; personal health counselor; facilitator/developer of support groups; referral agent/liaison; and developer/trainer of volunteers.

“CareNotes…and You Helping the Hurting” are Christian based booklets on a variety of topics that are available in the narthex by the welcome center. They are excellently written and the feedback on their content is quite positive.  If there is a specific topic you would like to read about please let Judy know and she will discuss titles with you. Some areas of interest might include: grieving, cancer, addictions, depression, losses in later life, anger, stress, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.