Saving lives in the church congregation!

I would like to share with you an amazing story from a faith community nurse that really emphasizes the difference a faith community nurse can make in a congregation.

Here is her account:

“Several Sundays ago I was sitting in my official parish nurse pew, when a congregant came rushing into the service, up the aisle and grabbed me by the shoulder. She whispered in my ear.. 'Quick, I need help in the parking lot!' As we left the sanctuary I realized I had nothing with me... No watch, no phone, no blood pressure equipment and I was not sure what I was walking into. Because I had worked with this woman and her husband I knew he had a cardiac history. So, as we rushed passed a minister I said 'please call 911 and have an ambulance sent. I want no sirens.' I figured I could always call and cancel the ambulance but I had a gut feeling that we were walking into a bad situation. I made it to the car in the lot to find a disoriented man babbling on about double vision. I could counted a rapid thready pulse and observed that he was more pale than usual. I assessed for signs and symptoms of a stroke. He was not outwardly demonstrating any signs other than double vision and flat affect. Our other nurse and a paramedic met me in the parking lot. They brought all the necessary equipment AED, blood pressure cuff and phone. The firemen arrived and assessed the man and we agreed he needed to get to a hospital. Final diagnosis.. brain stem stroke! He was in church this Sunday to tell the story! He does remember me talking to him and having trouble with his vision but nothing else. He has a slight hitch in his gait but NO other residual. The doctor says this was amazing and credited his recovery to rapid medical response. Because the other nurse and myself see him in our blood pressure clinic each month, we had the knowledge to project forward and anticipate what could possibly be his problem, even without overt symptoms. The faith community nurse program is a valuable asset to the community.”

Not every faith community nurse will have an experience like this but every one is making a difference in the lives of the people in their congregations and the community. They do this by taking blood pressures, visiting with home bound members, those recently discharged from the hospital, holding the hands of those who are grieving over the loss of a loved one or a member who has just received a diagnosis of a terminal illness. Faith Community nurses are there for all the stages of life.

Faith Community nurses are knowledgeable, caring and able to advice and direct individuals to appropriate health care facilities. They also offer spiritual, emotional, and physical support, if they don’t have the answer, they will pursue the question until they get answers.

If every faith community had a faith community nurse we would indeed see health care reform , because we would be tending body, mind and spirit.

For more information on faith community nursing, please click here

- Paulette Golden, RN, community health manager and faith community nurse coordinator