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Faith Community Nursing

Faith community nursing is a health and healing ministry that emphasizes the wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Rooted in the vision of Christ as Healer, this ministry grows out of the belief that all faith communities are places of health and healing and have a role in promoting wholeness through the integration of faith and health.

A faith community nurse is an RN with specialized knowledge who is called to ministry and affirmed by a faith community to promote health, healing and wholeness. They demonstrate competence in a defined set of attitudes, knowledge and skills that are incorporated in the Standards of Practice and Core Competencies of the Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry (CAPNM).

Parish nursing is a special interest group of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and acts as a voice and forum for this specialized area of the nursing profession. Parish nurses are licensed practitioners through the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Parish Nurse Network

The Parish Nurse Network helps parish nurses working in Anglican churches in the Diocese connect and meet for education, sharing, advocacy and ministry development. Parish nurse activities are posted here as they’re planned.

The network also provides information and education for clergy, chaplains, deacons and those in lay ministries who want to establish or learn about faith community nursing.

Resources

If your parish is considering starting a parish nurse ministry, the documents below may help you identify important aspects of this ministry. They also suggest contacts who will help you discern your way forward:

Learn more

the Rev. Canon Joanne Davies

Chair, Bishop’s Committee on Healing Ministries