Elaine Tyrrell, National Advisor to the Board

Elaine has been involved with parish nursing since 1998 when she set up a ministry at Nelson Cathedral, so becoming the first Anglican Parish Nurse in New Zealand.

She completed her basic FCN training in Adelaide with the Australian Faith Community Nurses Association (AFCNA) in 2000 and friendships were formed with Dr Anne van Loon (Director of Development of AFCNA) and Dr Merilyn Annells (then Chairperson of AFCNA) who subsequently supported the establishment of faith community nursing in New Zealand. Enquiries came from throughout New Zealand and from international visitors to Nelson such that there was a need to develop networking and training within the country.  Dr Anne van Loon has led several training courses within New Zealand – her first visit being to Christchurch in 2001 when NZAFCN was inaugurated and Elaine was invited on the Board.  NZFCNA in its present form was born in 2003 when Elaine became chairman.

In 2004, the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia recognised faith community nursing as a valid, important ministry within the church and supports its parishes in developing this outreach.  Elaine is the Parish Nurse Advisor within the Nelson Diocese.
Elaine’s husband, the Dean Emeritus, has not only supported this ministry but included it in his Masters dissertation.  In 2006, he received the QSO in the Queen’s birthday honours list in recognition of his service to the community including the development of parish nursing within New Zealand.

Elaine also works as a rehabilitation nurse in Nelson Hospital and her thesis for her Master in Health Science focussed on the perspective of older patients and their family members about the role of nursing in rehabilitation.

Diane Webster – National Coordinator:

Diane was first introduced to Parish Nursing or Faith Community Nursing at the end of her Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2001, when the first augural conference was held in Christchurch 2001.

It was an exciting concept to her as it entwined her faith and nursing passion together. From working with Nurse Maude as a District Nurse, the concept didn’t leave her and she could see the potential of this scope of practice out in the community especially within the Church.

The second Parish Nursing conference was held in Nelson 2003 which Diane attended and confirmed the call to offer her services to the newly formed Association. Diane continued to work in the role as Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member and then accepted the invitation to work as the National Coordinator which includes guiding the Board and visiting FCN’s throughout the country.  She has seen the Association through to its incorporated status, organised annual conferences in different venues and helped establish the NZFCNA website. Diane works voluntary in this role and holds her practising certificate within this scope of practice.  Nursing Council of New Zealand have recognised her nursing management role.

Elizabeth Niven – Editor

I’m a nurse working in education where I teach cross-disciplines in health. My main work is with osteopathy students, but I also teach into the nurse assistant, bachelor of nursing and medical imaging programmes. I love teaching, as it is here we see both young and mature people setting out on a career of helping others. The students are highly motivated, work hard, and intend to be the best health professionals that they can become. The contrast to the media portrayal of the next generation as selfish and uncaring could not be more marked.
My areas of special interest are social sciences, communication, end of life issues, ethics and research. I trained under the old hospital system many years ago and respect that education as much as I do today’s degree programmes, preparing today’s graduates for a different world.
I was a member of the parish of St Andrew’s Anglican parish in Epsom, Auckland, for almost 30 years, serving on various committees during this time. I’ve recently moved to worship at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, which is closer to home. I’m a member of the Board of the Selwyn Foundation, dedicated to the care and well-being of the older person in both residential care, independent living and community situations.
I’ve been involved with Faith Community Nursing for about 7 years now, and on the Board for 4 years. My role at the moment is as chairperson, and I hope to serve you all well in this position.

Ane Masima - Parish Nurse and Practice Nurse - Tongan Health Society:

My name is Ane Masima employed by the Tongan Health Society as a .7 Parish Nurse and .3 Practice Nurse. I work for a Tongan church known as the Tongan Wesleyan church named as Mo’unga ki he Loto. There are 28 families and a total of 158 parishioners.

I meet their needs by :-

-Home visit, identify and assist their needs.
-Take a mobile health clinic to the church once a week.(Mobile Van)
-Run an exercise group in the church hall once a week.
-Provide health education eg:- Quit smoking, Immunizations, Diabetes, etc.
-Demonstrate a healthy way of cooking our own Tongan food at the church camp.
-Referral to other Agencies and resources.
-Liaise with other Services.
-Partnership with the Steward’s wife in running a women prayer group.

I love to see the families of the Parishioners realise their own health needs and work hard to recover and live a better life.

Helen Vaughan - Ex FCN in New Zealand

I found out about FCN through Kai Tiaki, about 2005 and contacted the Association. It was not then the right time for me to become involved but I received information about the ministry from NZFCNA. The right time came two years later when I attended my first conference in Auckland. My church, Holy Trinity Anglican church in Hamilton, was very supportive and over the next two years I set up a ministry. After being involved in the NZFCNA for two years I was appointed to the Board. Unfortunately my husband and I had to move from Hamilton as he was offered in job in Canberra, Australia. It was hard to leave the church and this ministry and unfortunately there was no one to take over from me. Since moving to Canberra in 2010 I have joined the Australian FCNA while maintaining my membership of the New Zealand Association. I have had frequent trips back to New Zealand as our family are all still there, including our first grandchild. I have not commenced a ministry in Canberra as we feel a bit temporary here; however my enthusiasm for FCN continues and I am doing my best to promote the ministry wherever possible. I was appointed to the AFCNA Board in 2011 and am serving as the National Mentor. I have written the job description for this post and am learning as I go along what it entails.

Kathryn Starky

Last November I was licensed by  Bishop Victoria and given a ‘seeding grant’ from the Diocese of Christchurch to commence me on my journey into Parish or Faith Community Nursing.  It has been a year of discovery as I work through the 12 modules, developed as an Introductory Course to Faith Nursing, read from resources at the Kinder Library and reflect in a peer group that meets bimonthly in Christchurch.  I work with members of my faith community and  I am part of the pastoral team. I work with mothers and their young children, the elderly and housebound in my congregation and help with Eucharist services in the local rest home.  As part of my parish nursing I have developed a foot clinic. Seen in the photos I have enclosed is a 75 year old woman who has developed macula degenerative disease which has left her partially blind and with the prognosis of blindness.  At our foot clinics we prayer together.  Our hands joined, we hold a cross, a candle burns on the table nearby and we spend time praying together, listening and being in God’s presence.   Also pictured is our National Coordinator, Diane Webster, who spent a morning with us offering support and mentorship.

Kathryn's more recent involvement with NZFCNA has been at regional level through regular attendances at the peer support group. In 2012 she has taken a turn in spiritual reflections and worship. She also gave a presentation on FCN to the Christchurch Clergy Conference and to the Timaru Hospital at a Professional Development Day.

Marjorie Newcombe Faith Community Nurse in Greymouth

This year I turned 70 and since 1954 I knew I wanted to be a nurse. In 1955 I started my training, first as a sick children’s nurse and then as a registered general nurse. I was hospital trained in England.

The work was hard and at first involved scrubbing bed-pans and menial jobs which was not nursing work at all. It was great to graduate to actually care for patients. I did a 56 hour week, often with split shifts and 12 hour night duty stints for three months at a time. A second or third year student was often left in charge of a 30 bed ward at night with an auxiliary to help and a supervisor on call. Of course we were doing basic nursing and not expected to be technicians or a computer whiz as you need to be today. Our patients survived in spite of us!

After working in the field of cardio/thoracic surgery with both adults and children for several years I came by sea to work in the cardio/thoracic unit at Wellington hospital where I met my husband.

Eventually we moved to Dunedin where I again worked in the chest surgery unit until the birth of my sons. My nursing career then took a change in direction and I started district nursing two evenings a week and found I loved it. On moving to Greymouth in 1974 my second son had health problems so nursing went on hold for some time. Finally I went back to district nursing until I retired at the age of 66, with some casual- call today.

I have always had a strong faith and been involved in church work. When I was considering retirement I felt my skills could be put to use as a parish nurse and mentioned the idea to the Vicar. With his blessing and after training in Nelson I got started. I now run a monthly clinic for people to drop into mostly for blood- pressure checks and advice. I welcome anyone who comes, many are not church goers, or are from other denominations. I average about 16 hours a week visiting Parishioners with problems such as sickness, bereavement or just loneliness and I field lots of phone calls.

I have a wider community vision and have had opportunities to speak to people of other denominations. I get occasional referrals from GPs, mostly for blood pressure monitoring but word of mouth spreads quickly in small communities. Other health community professionals in my town know of my role and I am sure the Faith Community nursing role is valid. People ring me and/or stop me in the street for advice. It is very much a fellowship - caring role. God willing I will have many more years to continue in His

Phil Preece

I had no knowledge at all about Faith Community Nursing. I worked as a Registered Nurse in the rest home in Collingwood. A friend of mine travelled to Christchurch and spent some months working there. She attended St John's Latimer Square church and there met Ronnie who told my friend she had been to a Christian nurses conference. My friend told me as she was excited to have an organisation for Christian nurses. She gave me the contact number and then I got in touch with the National Coordinator of NZFCNA and requested information about faith community nursing. This all happened sometime in late 2009.

I was also really interested because it seemed like a FCN would fill a need in this large isolated community in Golden Bay, where I worked. So I mentioned it to my pastor. He was immediately very keen as he had heard of Parish nurses in the Diocese and said that it is what we need in our parish. He was also adamant that it must happen as a paid position in order to be able to devote sufficient time to it. He then took it upon himself to find a way to fund the position. He tried many avenues for funding – numerous community grants, grants for the elderly etc – then the funding became available through a trust fund within the Anglican Church.

I took about one year to finally access some funding and get it put in place. I had already for some time been informally working voluntarily in the community as well as my work at the rest home. I got hold of the training modules and completed them in October 2010. I also attended the conference in Wellington in Sept 2010. I began officially working as a Parish Nurse in Golden Bay in January 2011. I am now in my third year. It sounds like there will be funding available to continue this position after the three years' original allocation is complete. I work equally with the Anglican members and non church people in the community, mainly with the elderly.

Glenys Webster

Alan (my husband) was sent a Faith Nursing advertisement about a Conference in Christchurch 8 years ago when I was the Assistant Manager for Sarona Community (mental health residence) .As a nurse at the time, I felt quite isolated and was delighted to hear of the organisation. I was worried that I might not fit the criteria to belong. When I met the lovely people involved and enjoyed the fellowship I wanted to join. The concept grew on me as I found the different ways and levels of involvement of the nurses. At that time I had gone back to Polytech as a CAPS student to renew my Practice Cert as I had been in mental health so long my general one had expired.

I continued going to conferences every year which I found inspiring and also attended regional meetings. I then joined St John of God which was a Faith Community in itself and although I am now working there in the Pastoral Care team, I have held on to my Practicing Cert in case I ever need it to be a faith Nurse. I believe it is something I will do in the future as I' m also passionate about building the church and promoting its relevance and I think the 2 goals could combine in Faith Nurse practice. I remain interested in mental health and have a Post grad cert from Otago University in this."

Glenys has provided ongoing support to nurses in the Christchurch area as well as being on the Board of NZFCNA where she has shared her pastoral skills and helped facilitate interactive sessions at conferences.

Sarah Walker

Sarah first heard of this ministry in 2010 from her minister/father who works at Ellesmere Cooperating Parish. She is currently exploring how this form of nursing can fit into a community like hers and completed her basic training in time for the conference in September 2012, when she receieved her certificate of achievement in the presence of her father.

Angela Clark

Angela supports NZFCNA through her skills as one of the seven Professional Nursing Advisors for the NZNO based in the Auckland office. She heard about parish nursing when reading a pamphlet in Nelson Cathedral when NZFCNA was still in its infancy and has attended several of our conferences. We thank her for her enduring support and understanding as a Christian working in her advisory position.