Parish Nurse Biography

Marie Herbon Parish Nurse

Parish Nurse Program In Partnership with: Amazing Grace Sponsored by:

Professional Background:
I have always viewed my choice to become a registered nurse as not merely a profession but as a calling. I came to a crossroads in my life when my 15-month old daughter, Erin, passed away from leukemia. This event was a catalyst for me. My choices were to “bury” myself with Erin or use the experience to serve others. So, at age thirty-four, I became a college student.

I attended Macomb Community College, received an Associate Degree in Nursing Science in 1989 and passed the state board exams to be licensed as a registered nurse. I worked for Macomb Hospital Center in a closed head injury unit, an acute stroke unit and later the rehabilitation unit.

In 1997 I began to hear about a new specialty in my profession, the parish nurse. Several members of St. Thomas Lutheran Church with registered nurse backgrounds, including myself struggled to get a program together on a volunteer basis. We met several obstacles including the high cost of insurance to the church for our ministry, and the lack of time each of us had because of careers and family.

The same year I became aware that Macomb Hospital had a new program that sponsored parish nurses in the community. I needed a full time position because at that time in my life I was a widow with a twelve-year old son. It was possible to make this a full time opportunity if I could get another church to sponsor me as their parish nurse. Pastor Colleen Kamke from St. Thomas was instrumental in finding a partner church for this ministry. Amazing Grace Lutheran Church heard the offer and decided to be part of this ministry. In September of 1998, I was installed as the parish nurse for both Amazing Grace and St. Thomas.

Macomb Hospital, now St. John Macomb Hospital, part of the large St. John Health System, is my hospital affiliation. The new Community Health Investment Corporation provides my pay, professional insurance and network support in this field. My education includes the course of preparation for parish nurses at the University of Detroit Mercy, in the spring of 1999. I am also one of the facilitators of the Southeast Michigan ELCA Parish Nurse/Health Ministry Network.

My role as a parish nurse includes health education, personal health counselor, referral agent and liaison with church and community resources, facilitator of health activity volunteers, developer of support groups and health advocate.

Spirituality takes a front seat in my practice. I believe that for a person to be truly healthy there must be a balance of healthy mind, body, spirit, family and community ties.

I believe there are extra health benefits in being an active part of a Church Family. I have met some truly healthy people who were going through the final stage of life on Earth: dying. I believe dying is a transition, just like the transition from childhood to adolescence. I believe that all people have an inner wisdom about their body and that wisdom comes from listening to the “Christ within us”. I believe that all medical professionals should listen to the person they are serving, because they have valuable knowledge about their health needs.