Memphis, Tenn., June 28, 2000 - The Center for Continuing Education at the Baptist College of Health Sciences will host a Congregational Nursing Symposium from July 26-29, 2000.

Designed for registered nurses who want to provide non-invasive care to members of their spiritual community, the class is intended for experienced practitioners wanting to pursue careers in congregational nursing.

The program will be held at the Baptist Minor Medical Center in Olive Branch, Miss., 8990 Germantown Extended, and participants will discuss the history and function of the congregational nurse, the Church's role in healing, spiritual assessment and American Nurses Association's diagnostic tools, spiritual interventions, legal issues and grant writing.

"Congregational nursing encompasses the holistic concepts of caregiving," said Debbie Hooser, assistant professor of community health and nursing at the College. "It embodies psychosocial, spiritual, emotional and physical care given gently and with compassion."

For more information about the symposium, call (901) 227-4580. To learn more about the Baptist College of Health Sciences, visit www.bchs.edu.

# # #