Parish nursing allows nurses to link their health-care knowledge and expertise with spiritual support and guidance for members of the parish community. Parish nursing is a designation that can be achieved through special courses offered by some universities and seminary programs. RN Jan Linner (right, in photo) retired last year as the parish nurse at Lambeth United Church in London. She says this type of nursing focuses on “holistic health, and we help people with preventing diseases and help tolerating their diseases.” In the role, Linner led workshops on a range of topics, including organ donation and first aid/CPR. Alongside other volunteers, she also speaks one-on-one with parishioners experiencing loneliness or living through grief. During the pandemic, Linner had volunteers help call each family in the congregation to ensure they felt supported, and had what they needed to get through a challenging time. She reached out to 180 families herself. “People were really thankful for those phone calls,” she says. The role was assumed last year by Barb Sutherland, also a retired RN (left, in photo) (CBC News London, April 10).