Health, Healing, and Wellness are promoted among members and people in the wider community.  It is a cooperative effort that may include a health ministry committee under the direction of a congregational nurse. Today, this nurse is called a Faith Community Nurse.  There are scopes and standards of practice under the State Board of Nursing for S.C. for this field of nursing. Marsha Ball, Congregational Nurse, for RBC, completed courses necessary to be recognized and used the title of Congregational Nurse in 2004.

Congregational Nursing/Faith Community Nursing

Congregational nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as part of the process of promoting wholistic health and preventing or minimizing illness in a faith community. The congregational nurse primarily uses nursing interventions of education, counseling, advocacy, referral, utilizing resources available to the faith community, and training/supervising volunteers from the faith community. Congregational Nursing enhances the existing ministries of faith communities by increasing care and compassion, gathering volunteers and care teams to contribute to the overall well-being of the congregation and faith community, and enabling congregations to encourage healthy lifestyles and preventative care while fostering spiritual growth.

Marsha Ball, RN was appointed by the Deacons at RBC as the congregational nurse in 2004.  The congregational nurse is knowledgeable in 2 areas: professional nursing and spiritual care.  Marsha has completed health ministry 101 and 102 training under the direction of Spartanburg Regional Congregational Nursing Program. Marsha is a veteran nurse of 35 years with open heart, trauma, helicopter nursing, Pediatric, ICU, Mother/Baby, Labor and Delivery, and currently is working in the home health setting on a full time basis as a home health case manager for Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.