The impact of a faith community nursing program on a culturally diverse community

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Cynthia I. Shores (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Eileen Kohlenberg

Abstract: The purposes of this study were to examine the impact of a faith community nursing program on a culturally diverse community and to identify nursing interventions that faith community nurses use in their specialized practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and society. This study, based on Roy's Adaptation Model, used a qualitative design to assess the impact of a faith community nursing program. Questionnaires with open-ended questions were mailed to 112 faith community members, clergy representatives, and faith community nurses with 46% (n = 52) returned. Responses were analyzed with content analysis. Findings indicated that this faith community nursing program had many positive health, social, educational, cultural, financial, and spiritual benefits in the lives of culturally diverse people in the faith community and in the greater community. Participants reported living healthier, helping others, increasing and sharing knowledge, using culturally appropriate behaviors, saving money, experiencing increased hope, comfort, and inspiration, and achieving balance between physical and spiritual health. The description of the program impact was complemented by over 90 nursing interventions that faith community nurses use in their practice. Faith community nurses facilitated holistic health care, promoted health and well-being, and helped prevent or minimize illnesses as they ministered to culturally diverse populations. The faith community nurses associated with this nursing program had multiple opportunities to reduce health disparities in vulnerable, underserved, minority, and at-risk populations through innovative, collaborative, and economical strategies while simultaneously and intentionally focusing on spiritual care. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research were presented.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2011
Keywords
Content analysis, Faith community nursing, Nursing interventions, Program impact
Subjects
Parish nursing
Community health nursing
Spirituality

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