Exploring parish nurses' perspectives of parish nurse training

Little research has explored parish nurses' perceptions of their preparation for their new role transition. This article studied role preparation from the perspective of practicing parish nurses.

A qualitative descriptive design used in-person interviews and open-ended questions. Interviews with practicing parish nurses within 2 years of attending a training course were transcribed and coded. Participants shared their perceptions of role preparation and the interventions that were most helpful in transitioning to the role of parish nurse.

Participants identified some deficiencies in training that led to feelings of inadequacy in areas such as spirituality and community nursing knowledge. Lack of role models and inadequate practice hours were challenges for role transition. Group activities during training and peer support were cited as helpful interventions for the new parish nurse.

The findings will help parish nurse educators to understand factors that affect role transition for parish nurses and contribute to the improvement of training models to support successful role transition.