What is parish nursing? A parish nurse is a registered nurse who facilitates the whole-person health of a congregation and, in doing so, helps to reclaim the healing ministry of the church. The foundations of parish nursing are spirituality, the link between faith and health, and the integration of body, mind and spirit (whole-person health). Parish nurse ministry is a team approach. The team includes a parish nurse, a minister or chaplain, and a health committee. The focus of parish nurse ministry is primarily health promotion and illness prevention.

The Parish Nurse Institute was an ecumenical, eight-day intensive educational and personal growth experience for registered nurses. The purpose of the Institute was to introduce participants to the foundations and tools necessary for parish nurse ministry. The format was a combination of lecture, discussion, break out sessions, and group work. The content included introduction to parish nursing, spiritual care giving, scriptural foundations of whole-person health care, spiritual and congregational needs assessment, legal issues, working with congregations, the role of the parish nurse, and much more. The Institute included Sunday worship, daily devotions and a healing service.

Since 1998, 107 nurses have completed the Parish Nurse Institute at McMaster Divinity College. These nurses have come from as far away as Calgary, Alberta and Rochester, New York, and represent many different denominations, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, United Church, Brethren, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Convention Baptist, Presbyterian and Greek Orthodox.