[New Jersey Herald] For too long, there has been a natural tendency for people to place the pieces of themselves that call for attention into their own separate boxes, each guarded over by whatever caregiver is best suited to the job. Physical ailments are treated at the hospital by doctors and nurses, mental troubles are seen to by a psychiatrist, and issues of faith are handled by a member of the clergy in a house of worship. Faith Community Nurses like Beth Batastini, of Newton, are changing the way that people think by bridging the gap among these three areas to create a bigger picture of whole-self health.
Faith Community Nurses are licensed, registered nurses who provide a unique service to their communities by combining medical knowledge with faith-based ideologies such as compassion and service. Batastini has been on staff as the Faith Community Nurse at Christ Episcopal Church since 2014, helping members of her congregation to connect with all of the resources that Sussex County has to offer. Her duties include tracking down treatment programs, walking patients through the hospital discharge process, and listening to the stories that her patients tell.
"One of the biggest blocks that we try to help people through is that no one should be defined by a diagnosis," said Batastini. "We want people to think about the things that matter to them as a whole. Faith Community Nurses let people know that they have a support network, that there are people that care for them, and that they should never feel alone."
In addition to her work with Christ Episcopal Church, Batastini is part of the Faith Community Health Partnership at Newton Medical Center.
