Position: Augustana Lutheran Church is seeking a 32 hour a week Faith Community Nurse (formerly Parish Nurse) to plan and coordinate health ministry within the congregation and the community it serves by fostering health promotion, healing, and caring. The goal of the congregation’s health ministry program is to assist individuals, groups, and communities in moving toward wholeness in spirit, body, and mind.

Major Responsibilities:

• Responds to health-related concerns of parishioners referred by individuals, families, and church staff by making visits to home, hospital, and other health institutions to evaluate needs, provide support, and assist in making plans for continuous care.
• Facilitate weekly Care Team meetings.
• Produce and maintain prayer request list for Sundays and ongoing prayer chain.
• Coordinate the Home Communion Visitor Ministry.
• Provide or coordinate health promotion and health education activities across the life span, highlighting relationships among lifestyle, faith, and well-being.
• Integrate faith and health in providing or referring people for individual health counseling, support groups, and healing prayer services.
• Refer individuals and families to appropriate community resources.
• Conduct and document critical elements of professional practice in compliance with state regulatory agencies and scope of practice standards for faith community nursing.
• Recruit, coordinate, and prepare licensed and unlicensed volunteers to assist in carrying out health ministry initiatives, respecting confidentiality.
• Facilitate special events to provide access to health services such as blood drives, health screenings, foot care and exercises classes.
• Partner with the Health Ministry to support congregational priorities such as Augustana’s community garden, knitting ministries, E4 Mental Health, 60 plus, etc.
• Collaborate with other Augustana ministries to coordinate outreach programs and opportunities for Augustana members and the surrounding community.
• Promote the advancement of faith community nursing through membership, mentorship, and participation in professional organizations.
• Minimum Requirement of 2 Sunday Mornings per month to include Health Ministry Sunday to perform blood pressures and be available as a resource to the congregation.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrates broad-based clinical knowledge of health and illness.
• Expertise in community health, family dynamics, principles of wellness, and care management.
• Committed to professional growth and development.
• Concerned with the development and wellbeing of all age groups.
• Spiritual maturity in personal faith journey and active church member.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient in computer applications and Internet usage.
• Ability to problem solve objectively and independently.
• Familiarity with end-of-life and health insurance issues.
• Demonstrates energy, excitement, and passion for health ministry.
• Exhibits creativity and flexibility.

Qualifications:

• Registered nurse, currently with an active and unencumbered RN license in the State of Colorado.
• Minimum baccalaureate degree in nursing; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of nursing experience.
• Certification as Faith Community Nurse preferred, or expectation of completion of Faith Community Nurse Training within 6 months to 1 year of starting the position.
• Understands and agrees to comply with the American Nurses Association’s Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standard for Practice, 3rd
• Understands and agrees to respect the spiritual beliefs and practices of the Augustana faith community.
• Maintains professional liability insurance policy.
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience preferred

Physical Requirements: To perform the essential functions of this position, an individual must meet these minimum physical requirements.[1]

• Climbing stairs. Ascending and descending stairs to gain access to a building or to move from one floor to another.
• Working primarily with fingers rather than whole hand or arm (e.g. typing, touching, and other fine motor skills).
• Applying pressure and strength to an object with fingers and palm, often used with intent to stabilize or move an object.
• Ability to detect specific sounds required by clinical practice (e.g. auscultations); hears well enough to understand normal conversations.
• Lifting/carrying. Raising an object weighting up to 20 pounds from a lower to a higher position or physically transporting such items from one location to another.
• Repetitive hand motion. Movements of the wrist, hands and fingers for sustained periods of time (e.g. working at personal computer; hand writing forms.
• Sitting/standing. Ability to sit and stand for periods up to one hour in duration.
• Visual acuity. Ability to see and read computer screens and medical screening devices; ability to read normal type-size print.
• Moving about on foot for periods of at least 15 minutes while gaining reasonable distance without significant distress.

[1] Auxiliary devices (e.g. audio-amplification systems, visual correction aides, walking canes) may be used when performing these physical requirements.