Welcome to LFCNA - the Lutheran
Faith Community Nurse Association Region 9 web page.
Allow us to introduce ourselves.

Nancy

I have been a RN for 54 years and a Parish Nurse at Christ Lutheran Church in Cape Coral 23 years.  The call to Parish Nursing was loud and strong one Sunday as my Pastor placed an ad in our Bulletin for a Parish Nurse.  I just knew that was me and over the course of 23 years as Parish Nurse, I have been in a paid position for a period of years as well as in a current non paid model.  Serving my congregation and the community has been a very personal journey and has allowed me to work as I needed.  I recently retired from a full-time management position as Parish Nurse Manager in a large health care system in Ft. Myers.  It was wonderful to be fully immersed in parish nursing in both positions.  I have taught the Foundations Course for many years and have found the course to be rewarding each time it is offered and I am involved in mentoring and helping RNs prepare themselves for this ministry of health and wholeness.

Currently, I continue as Region 9 LFCNA director along with my associate, Vicki Carlson who is the Synod Parish Deacon at Peace Lutheran Church in Ft. Myers.  

One major challenge is the difficulty to identify where Faith Community Nurses are in other states as Region 9 which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and the Bahamas. We encourage you to contact us if you are in any of these areas and would like any assistance and/or to connect with you to offer support and a listening ear.  I have been a member of LFCNA since its inception and the opportunity to meet and talk with Faith Community Nurses across the United States is an honor.

Blessings on your Faith Community Nurse Ministry Path, 
Nancy Roberts, RN, BSN, FCN

Vicki     

I served as the former Faith Community Nurse for Peace Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, an ELCA congregation. I graduated from the Florida Hospital Parish Nurse Institute in September of 2006. I was the Lead Parish Nurse at Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Southport, NC from 2006 until moving back to Fort Myers in August of 2021. I began at Peace Lutheran as FCN on September 20, 2021 and retired in 2023. 

I also hold certifications as a Spiritual Director from Haden Institute in NC, as well as certifications as an ELCA Lay Minister and Lay Preacher. I currently serve as a Synod Parish Deacon for Peace Lutheran Church. I also hold a certificate as a Geriatric Care Coordinator.

I currently serve on the Board of Directors for LFCNA as Secretary and look forward to serving for the next two years if elected.

Greetings to our Region 9
Parish/Faith Community Nurses

Nancy and Vicki are in conversation with Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop Pedro Suarez to begin discussing need to locate existing parish nurses in the Synod. Many have retired, and new nurses are beginning their ministry. The hope is that the Synod will assist in keeping a roster of ELCA Lutheran nurses in the Synod.

We also served at the Florida-Bahamas Synod Annual Assembly in 2023 and presented a workshop on Dementia and its Impact on the Church. 

Educational Opportunities

Lee Health Health Classes and Conference information

For questions call:  239-343-5182 (FCN Coordinator)

Cancer Support Group for Spanish Speaking Persons

Spanish Cancer Support Group: Pilar Flores, social worker at Holy Cross Health Centers in Aspen Hill and Silver Spring, is facilitating a virtual cancer support group for Spanish speaking adults who are currently in treatment for cancer. It is held on Teams and it is every 4^th Monday from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Please see attached flyer and promote as appropriate. For more information please contact Pilar Flores at pilar.floresramirez@holycrosshealth.org or 301-754-8583

Brain Health and Dementia Education offerings: 

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/brain-health/alzheimers-disease-and-dementia/

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/brain-health/

Follow this link for the story of the Parish Nurse Ministry at Lee Memorial and their 25 years of ministry, of serving and caring. 
https://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/faith-community-nurses-support-all-aspects-of-health/ 

10,000 Cups of Joy – Lee Health Ft. Myers Florida

Since rolling out in January 2022 at our hospitals and Lee Health Coconut Point, REST Tea Carts — and the volunteers who guide them — have served an astounding 10,000 cups of tea

Created by Spiritual Services and the Resilience Education Support Team (REST), supported by a grant from the Lee Health Foundation and run by Lee Health volunteers, REST Tea Carts provide a one-of-a-kind experience for our team members.

Every week, the individual carts traverse facility grounds, delivering a range of calming brews alongside specialty tea cookies.

Nancy Roberts, RN, BSN, FCN, PRN parish nurse, was tasked with launching and managing the REST Tea Carts, and she paid close attention to the details.

The volunteers pour hot water from a lovely silver kettle, and they offer sugar cubes or honey in addition to sugar packets. While pouring the tea, they extend gratitude to our team members and hand out ‘positive thought’ cards to further lift their spirits.

Sometimes, with the multiple stressors within a health system, it is hard to have a positive thought, so we offer one,” said Nancy.

For example, one card says, ‘I won’t let anyone rain on my parade today, for the sunshine is within me.’ In total, there are 25 different ‘thoughts’ for the cards

“It is a joy to see the smiles of the staff and hear that it’s just what they needed,” Nancy added.

Thank you to our REST Tea Cart teams for serving up meaningful moments of peace and joy to our team members who work hard, day and night, to care for our patients and their families. We look forward to celebrating and enjoying many more cups of tea with you!