Mingo County nurses eligible for Faith Community Nursing scholarships
Scholarships are available for 20 Mingo County nurses who would like to complete the Faith Community Nursing program. Taught by the WVU School of Nursing, Faith Community Nursing focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as part of the process of promoting holistic health and preventing or minimizing illness in a faith community.
Biz Morrissey, an advanced practice nurse who took the Faith Community Nursing course a couple years after graduating, wanted to better understand how to help the community.
“In the hospital setting, I totally understood, but when it came to my faith community, where I was seeing health disparities, I didn’t really know where to start,” Morrissey said. “Faith Community Nursing helped me know what to do, how I can help and what are my limits.”
From walking groups and blood drives to vaccination information and blood pressure screenings, Morrissey learned how small moves can make a big difference. While Faith Community Nursing isn’t about diagnosing people in the field, it is about advocating for people, making connections, and helping guide them where they need to go.
“This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences for me—being able to help and answer questions for people and being able to advocate for them in a safe environment,” Morrissey said. “It allows me to give back to my community and be understanding of how different religions and faiths can impact someone’s health.”
The course usually costs $400, but will be free to interested nurses in Mingo County this fall, thanks to the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington, which awarded a $50,000 grant through the Healthy Communities Initiative for a year-long project. The grant, submitted by Sam Cotton, James Messer and Angel Smothers, will support ongoing work, especially in Mingo County.
Upon completion of the all-online eight-week course, nurses will receive 40 hours of nursing continuing professional development and a national certificate of training as a faith community nurse through the Westberg Institute.
For more information, please contact Angel Smothers at angel.smothers@hsc.wvu.edu.