Evidence for a new paradigm of the ministry of parish nursing practice using the nursing intervention classification system

Abstract

A national study of parish nurses used the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) Use Survey (3rd Ed.) to characterize parish nursing practice. The study categorized NIC interventions based on frequency of use by parish nurses. The majority of nursing interventions focused on the Behavioral Domain, which supports psychosocial functioning and facilitates lifestyle changes and the Coping Assistance Class, which includes spiritual support. Data provides evidence to further understand what parish nurses do in their daily practice, as well as clarifies the complexity and scope of this specialty practice. Findings confirm that parish nursing is a specialty nursing practice as well as a ministry. Objective descriptions of parish nurse practice, including the identification of the most commonly used parish nurse interventions, will assist in providing direction for defining the role of the parish nurse and providing a basis for reviewing the current content of parish nurse curriculum. The database, which uses a standardized nursing language, also provides evidence for a new paradigm of the ministry of parish nursing practice that is intelligible to other nurses, policy makers, and funders.