Parish Nurse
Welcome to your Immaculate Conception Parish Nurse Website Page:
What is Parish Nursing...
Parish Nurse is an Integrator of Faith and Health, helping to promote the understanding of the relationship between faith and healing.
Parish Nurse is a Health Educator. The nurse promotes an atmosphere where, individuals of all ages, through a variety of educational activities, explores the relationships between faith, values, attitudes, lifestyles, and health. The nurse may educate one-on-one, in small or large groups, or families. In her teaching, she encourages the understanding to the connection of faith and well-being. Examples are Natural Family Planning, All in God's Plan, and exercise programs
Parish Nurse is a Personal Health Counselor. The nurse discusses health problems with parishioners, giving clarity and support. The nurse makes home, hospital and nursing home visits as needed.
Parish Nurse is a Health Advocate. The parish nurse works with the client, faith community and primary health resources to provide whatever is in the best interest of the client from a whole person perspective, listening and advocating for the client.
Some services that the Parish Nurse is involved in include: (See below for more details of each program)
~Remembrance Group
~Home Visits
~Coordinate Be-friender program
~Mass for those who have lost Loved Ones
~Health Advocate
~Grief Program
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
God designed marriage as an "intimate partnership of life and love" (see Gaudium et spes, no.48). In God's design, marriage is a unique union of one man with one woman "for the whole of life" (see Canon 1055, The Code of Canon Law). Marriage is oriented to the good of the spouses and to the creation of nurture of new human life (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). Making decisions therefore, about when and how many children to have in marriage is a sacred responsibility that God has entrusted to husband and wife. This is the foundation of what the Church calls, "Responsible Parenthood" --the call to discern God's will for your marriage while respecting His design for life and love.
The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God's design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. When learning about NFP, it is important to know that:
Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.
NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23) Information taken from www.usccb.org
OTHER SUPPORTING NFP ARTICLES AND INFORMATION: (All articles found at www.usccb.org)
**The Marquette Method is taught right here at Immaculate Conception Parish. The Marquette Model (MM) system brings 21st century technology to NFP. It is a system that uses an algorithm with other biological signs of fertility (i.e., urine hormones, mucus and/or temperature) to help identify the woman's fertile window. The Clearblue fertility monitor is an at home device that measures hormone levels in urine to estimate the beginning and end of the time of fertility in a women's menstrual cycle. The information from the monitor can be used in conjunction with observations of cervical mucus, basal body temperature, or other biological indicators of fertility. The MM was developed by professional nurses and physicians at Marquette University in the late 1990's. Learning how to monitor fertility through NFP aids a couple in the understanding, appreciation, and holistic integration of this precious gift. Please contact the listed instructor for more information. (Description by Marquette University Institute for Natural Family Planning).
Contact Bridget with questions or to set up a class time.
REMEMBRANCE GROUP-this group is for those who have lost a spouse. We invite those who have lost a spouse to come together as a group monthly and discuss a Saint who is relevant to that month. We pray the chaplet together for our intentions and our loved ones. We enjoy coffee, treats, and fellowship. We meet the last Tuesday of the month at 1:30pm. If there is a funeral on that day, we cancel the group meeting.
HOME VISITS/BE-FRIENDER VISITS- A group of trained volunteers provides home visits to those in need. If the homebound have health concerns or are struggling to stay at home the parish nurse will provide information in response to personal health concerns and assist people in connecting with community resources. The Be-frienders provide a connection to the parish with a weekly home visit and most importantly bring Jesus in the Eucharist.
For Questions about any of these program or if you would like to be involved in any of these ministries please contact Bridget at 886-4049 or nurse@icparishwatertown.org