Faith Community Nurse Network Of The Greater Twin Cities

THE MISSION OF FAITH COMMUNITY NURSE NETWORK OF THE GREATER TWIN CITIES IS TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS TO BRING FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING TO EVERY CONGREGATION IN THE TWIN CITIES.

EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS: SINCE 2016, WE HAVE TRAINED AND SUPPORTED FCNS TO LEAD THE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING IN CONGREGATIONS AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IN 2021 ALONE WE FACILITATED PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 200 OLDER ADULTS THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING WHILE EDUCATING MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE IN THE OVERALL TOPIC OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND WELLNESS THROUGH COMMUNITIES IN WHICH OUR FAITH COMMUNITY NURSES SERVE AND OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS. WE INCREASED OUR CAPACITY IN 2021 TO FACILITATE EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS, STEPPING ON, LIVING WELL WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS, LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES, LIVING WELL WITH CHRONIC PAIN, A MATTER OF BALANCE, AND TAI JI QUAN: MOVING FOR BETTER BALANCE. THESE FALLS PREVENTION AND CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS EMPOWER OVERALL HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND FOSTER SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. THIS EXPANSION REFLECTS A GROWING NEED BY OLDER ADULTS AS WELL AS DIRECT REQUESTS FROM FCNS. IN 2021, WE TRAINED 88 NEW LEADERS IN THESE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE PROGRAMMING IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AND BEYOND.

TELEPHONE REASSURANCE: IN JULY 2020, WE LAUNCHED OUR TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS NEW PROGRAM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE 12 FAITH COMMUNITY NURSES TO MAKE REGULAR PHONE CALLS TO ADULTS AGES 60 AND ABOVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ISOLATION. THE NURSES MAKING CALLS RELIEVE ISOLATION AND SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS THROUGH SENIOR HOUSING REFERRALS, HEALTH STATUS CHECKS, GRIEF SUPPORT, COMMUNITY RESOURCE REFERRALS, INTENTIONAL LISTENING, AND MORE. IN 2021, FCNS MADE 1,779 CALLS TO APPROXIMATELY 120 UNIQUE OLDER ADULTS THROUGHOUT THE 7-COUNTY METRO AREA.

FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING COURSE: FCNN IS COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF FCNS. TO THIS END, TWICE EACH YEAR WE OFFER THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING COURSE REQUIRED FOR RNS TO ENTER THE SPECIALTY PRACTICE. SINCE 2010, OUR INTERFAITH TEAM OF EXPERIENCED FCNS AND NURSING EDUCATORS HAS PREPARED OVER 187 NURSES TO SERVE ACROSS MINNESOTA AND BEYOND. WE AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS TO ELIGIBLE RNS. FCNN HELD TWO VIRTUAL COURSES IN 2021 USING A COMBINATION OF ZOOM AND ONLINE LEARNING MODULES. WE WELCOMED 27 RNS INTO FCN PRACTICE, WITH SEVERAL LEARNERS FROM OUTSIDE OF MINNESOTA.

CONTINUING EDUCATION SYMPOSIUMS: WE OFFER QUARTERLY PROFESSIONAL NURSING EDUCATION SYMPOSIUMS, EACH VALUED AT THREE CONTACT HOURS. OUR SYMPOSIUMS ALLOW NURSES TO RECEIVE THEIR NECESSARY CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE. IN 2021, WE HELD FOUR SYMPOSIUMS VIRTUALLY WITH MORE THAN 230 INDIVIDUALS JOINED US FOR LEARNING AND NETWORKING. TOPICS INCLUDED: HUMAN TRAFFICKING, FOOD AS MEDICINE, CULTURALLY CONGRUENT PRACTICING, AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. WE ALSO PROVIDED A JOB LISTING SERVICE FOR CONGREGATIONS SEEKING AN FCN, AND A NETWORKING FORUM FOR FCNS.