May brings May flowers, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and for us at Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministry – Nurse’s Week. Nurse’s week – a celebration of all that good about nursing – is the week of May 5th.

Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries celebrates Nurse’s Week all month by promoting the work of faith community nurses in the Greater St. Louis area. Faith community nursing is a specialized practice of nursing, which integrates the science of nursing with intentional care of the spirit. There are scope and standards of the practice, which the nurses adhere to in their daily work. All faith community nurses are professional registered nurses who have experience in nursing. Some come from community health settings, others from acute hospital care, but all of them bring a wealth of wisdom in assessing and caring for individuals and communities.

All of faith community nurses at Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries have been through the Foundations of Faith Community Nurse continuing education course, which is 34 hours. This course provides the foundational information that is needed for the practice. Ongoing education and support is offered to faith community nurses through Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries.

Faith community nurses provide what no other nurse provides – holistic care in a faith based setting. They work to ensure that the whole person is cared for – mind, body and spirit. Deeply embedded in their work is healing and health that comes by being a part of a community. Relationships are encouraged and nurtured as the faith community nurse works with and for others.

In this month of celebrating nursing, Deaconess Faith Community Nurse Ministries honors the critical ongoing work of the faith community nurse in providing holistic care. Bodies are healed, minds are saved and spirits are uplifted by their work every day.

To learn more about faith community nursing, contact Rev. Donna Pupillo at dsmith-pupillo@eden.edu.