Our Congregational Nurse (Donna Rutherford, RN) provides a healing ministry that helps support and fulfill the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our congregation. She is a volunteer on staff, our nurse minister.
Blood Pressure Screenings
Donna holds blood pressure screenings on the last Sunday of each month in the Pastoral Care Office. The next screening day will be Sunday, May 26 before and after worship.
High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. The only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to be tested periodically for it. Stop by and have your numbers checked.
Please check the Congregational Health Ministry Bulletin board located in the hallway for timely health information articles that might be of help to you and your family.
From Your Congregational Nurse
May 2013
The old saying “use it or lose it” reinforces the health wellness idea that our body is built to move.
It can be hard to follow advice to exercise but the human body absolutely needs it. If we don’t move, every system in our body begins to break down. Making the effort to “sit less” can be of great benefit. Current findings suggest a reduction in the time spent sitting can be nearly as beneficial as increasing daily activity time.
Today we have many labor saving devices, sedentary jobs along with seated entertainment, a reliance on cars etc. All of these have made our society the most sedentary in recent decades. Studies have linked sitting a lot to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, bone and joint disorders and other chronic conditions. People who spend most of their leisure time sitting have higher mortality rates, especially from cardiovascular disease regardless of their physical activity level. Just hitting the gym a few times a week is not enough to counteract the adverse effects of prolonged sitting. If you sit a lot and get little or no exercise the problem is worse.
So, even if you exercise regularly, try to limit the amount of time you spend sitting, whether at a desk or in front of the TV. When you sit for prolonged periods of time, get up every two hours for a five minute brisk walk, climb the stairs or engage in other movement. This will help to break the sedentary cycle that is so unhealthy.
Great things happen in your body when you move it. You will build up bone feeding joints, improve muscle strength, curb blood fat levels, aid digestion and spark your brain. Sounds like a good idea that is easy to do. Try it.
“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe,
to match your nature with Nature.” ~ Joseph Campbell
Preserving Mood, Memory and Cognition
Cornucopia Health Workshops
In May, Dr. Sharon Hausman-Cohen and staff will be offering eight hours of education and demonstration related to nutrition at St. Andrew’s. These classes give knowledge and skills to improve cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac risk, weight loss, etc. This is accomplished by shifting about 80-90% of food to nutrient dense plant based food and making animal products the minority of what is eaten. This program gets amazing results. Find out more at www.cornucopiahealth.org.
Classes take place on May 8th, 15th, 22nd and June 5th from 7-9PM at St. Andrew’s.
Dr. Hausman-Cohen’s website www.bwfamilymedicine.com.
Classes are full.
Services and Duties of the Congregational Nurse
Donna serves our congregation as:
- a health and wellness educator
- a health and wellness counselor
- a community liaison and personal advocate
- a member of the Pastoral Care Team
All conversations and records are strictly confidential. All records are secure. No one else has access to the records of the congregational nurse.
Her duties include:
- Meeting individually with clients in the home, church, or hospital to provide holistic care and support.
- Advocating for clients in the health system.
- Promoting health education.
- Providing health screening and monitoring, as with our First Sunday Blood Pressure Screenings.
- Assessing the needs of the congregation and establishing programs to meet these needs.
- Assisting in locating resources for the community.
The Congregational Nurse does not give direct hands-on treatment but helps to empower and enable clients in their healing journey.
Contact Donna
