Keywords
advanced practice, parish nursing, faith-based, spiritual care
Abstract
The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of an Advanced Practice Nurse in providing spiritual and nursing care within a faith community setting. The study will describe the process of developing a Parish Nurse program using a Nurse Practitioner to offer wholistic health care to parishioners. It will also illustrate the collaborative process of developing a free health center within a faith based organization, using the Nurse Practitioner to manage the health center and deliver health care services. In order to demonstrate the need for parish nurse care, the case study used an anonymous survey to provide insight into the health status of the congregation, as well as to determine perceived needs of parishioners. Excerpts from the researcher's journal and audio-taped interviews of parishioners and key leaders within the community was used to express congregants' experiences of receiving parish nurse care, and to convey the need for a free community health center in the target population. A utilization review was conducted to demonstrate the profile of the patients who have accessed the services of the health center. The findings revealed three commons themes of parish nurse care; presence, spiritual support, and health care liaison. The study also revealed parishioners had an expedited referral process and improved patient provider relationships. Additional findings determined that the free health center was able to be operated by many of the members of the faith based organization, and was effective in managing chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Advanced Practice Nurses who are Parish Nurses have an opportunity to practice in a more wholistic manner, and offer advanced level care to parishioners and the community at large to improve health outcomes.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2010
Advisor
Chase, Susan
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
College
College of Nursing
Department
Nursing
Degree Program
Nursing Practice
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0003308
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003308
Language
English
Release Date
August 2010
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Lindsey, Chianta, "Advanced Practice Nursing In The Faith Community Setting: A Case Study" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4307.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4307