Faith Community Nursing Program Development Project

Sharon Galloway

Abstract

Faith community nursing is a model of nursing care that focuses on health promotion and disease prevention and the intentional care of the spirit within the context of a faith community's values, beliefs, and practices. The purpose of this program development project was to develop and identify an implementation plan for a faith community nursing program at the Church of The Apostles in Coventry, Rhode Island. A needs assessment was completed in order to determine the health status and risk factors of the congregants, identify diversity in needs within the congregation and to identify perceived needs and perceived barriers in meeting those needs. The needs assessment was an essential first step in assisting the church and the faith-based nurse. The approach used to complete the needs assessment included a demographic and health questionnaire and focus group. The nursing theoretical framework used to guide this project was a grand nursing theory based on human needs, The Neuman Systems Model. This model uses a systems approach to describe holistic health that is focused on a client's or client system's optimal well-being. The PRECEDE-PROCEED logic model was chosen as the framework to guide the construction of this long-term plan to develop a faith community nursing program. The proposed faith community nursing program will represent a Congregational model and an independent, stand-alone faith community nursing program. The health promotion program will be phased-in based on the needs of the congregation identified from the needs assessment.