Parish Nurses 

Last month I attended an intriguing talk and discussion about Parish Nursing Ministries. The talk was given by Ruth Pillar, who is a member of the Cliff Park Community Church. Ruth is a mental health nurse, who has kept up her Registration with the NMC, even though she is retired from a senior post with the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
 
Ruth is at the beginning of a journey into providing Parish Nurse Ministry in the Cliff Park area. Along with volunteer helpers, she has opened a meeting place in a local community room for 2 hours a week. Leaflets have been distributed to the local estate. She is focusing on mental wellbeing and prevention and is aware that there is much need around loneliness and isolation
 
Ruth can also work with people with a diagnosis, although she is careful never to duplicate the work of the mental health services. However, she has good contacts with these services, and the chaplaincy, and can work alongside the professionals where appropriate
 
There must be a number of people who live in our parish, maybe reading this, who are registered nurses, who might (and I know this is a longshot!), might have some spare time to develop a Parish Nursing role here in Great Yarmouth. There is a website for Parish Nursing Ministries UK which has all the information you need if your interest has been piqued

From Parish Nursing Ministries UK:

“Parish Nurses support individuals and communities towards whole-person health and wellbeing, through churches and Christian organisations of any denomination
 
Maintaining Health and Wellbeing: Providing individual health education, advice and information or group interventions to promote health, referring on to statutory services if required
 
Recovering Health and Wellbeing: Supporting people who are lonely or recovering from illness, including providing advice and support to families and informal carers
 
Self-managing Health Conditions: Supporting, advising, and advocating for individuals living with long term conditions, their families and informal carers
 
Final Stages of Life: Offering support for those at the end of life and their families and carers, facilitating spiritual health and bereavement support
 
We help churches and Christian organisations to plan, establish and maintain a Parish Nursing service as part of their mission in the community. Once established, Parish Nursing Ministries UK provides ongoing professional support to nurses who work on a part-time, full-time, paid or voluntary basis as a Parish Nurse”
Pam Spychal
 Parish Life Magazine

Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in Great Yarmouth or surrounding villages?  

If so, email judith.edmonds@ntlworld.com with details and, if possible a suitable picture