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Additional Readings

Lessons Learned from the Pandemic—Revisited

Marcia Schnorr, EdD, RN-BC

Carol Zimmermann, MS, RN

2022

Introduction

The world, as we knew it, seemed to end abruptly when COVID-19 became the subject of everything we did and everything we could no longer do. Nurses working in traditional nursing were suddenly on the frontlines of a war against a virus that no one seemed to know anything about.

Parish nurses found themselves being denied in-person access to those they had been serving in their congregation and community. Churches were closed for worship and most other activities.

Schnorr and Zimmermann completed descriptive research during that first year (presented at the 2021 Concordia Conference for Parish Nursing and Congregational Health and the 2021 Fall Conference sponsored by Northern Illinois District—Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and other opportunities. The findings are available on www.lpni.org under “additional readings”.

A few of the respondents in the first study suggested that we do a follow-up study after a year to determine if the findings were similar or if we had returned to “normal”. Or have we identified a “new normal”?

This follow-up study was completed in response to the suggestion. The survey was distributed to the same groups of Lutheran parish nurses (www.lcmsparishnurses, www.lcmspnreps, www.lpni.org). The same questions were used with just minor adjusting to reflect the passage of time, and the same system of data analysis was used. The researchers met by zoom rather than in person. No other differences in format existed between the two studies

Demographics

Across all six demographics the results were nearly identical. With the original study there were 51 respondents, this study had 22 participants. All participants in the follow-up resided in the United States. The “typical respondent” was from the central USA 63% 962% in 2020) and from a suburb/midsize town 50% or a rural/small town 36%. As in 2020, participants have been serving 11-20 years on average with participants ranging from one year of service to over twenty years. The typical parish nurse serves 25 hours per month and 75% of these respondents serve only as a parish nurse. Most participants (60%) are 51-70 years young with the remaining 40% over 70 years young.

Research Question 1

The first question was “What is something your congregation began because of the pandemic that you will keep doing”?

The most frequently cited change that will be maintained is the addition of Facebook or other televised options. Added comments indicated positive and negative concerns. Positive comments included

· The ability of congregants unable (or afraid) to leave home to still see the church and worship from a distance with the family of faith.

· Members or acquaintances from beyond the local community were able to “attend” worship with family or friends through then use of technology.

· Many signed in with comments which mimicked the fellowship time of in-person worship

Negative comments included

· Many people became lazy and opted to stay home to watch rather than return to in-group worship when restrictions were lifted.

· Those who chose to participate by Facebook or similar format (and not homebound due to health issues) were not receiving Holy Communion.

· While the sign-in comments are helpful, they do not replace the in-person fellowship of believers experienced in in-church worship.

Other frequently noted changes that are part of the new normal include

· Continued use of hand sanitizer,

· Keeping the offering plates and attendance cards in the narthex, and

· Beginning a new human care outreach such as food pantry, comfort dogs, or grief groups.

Research Question #2

The second research question was “What surprised you the most during the pandemic and/or disappointed you the most?”

The top cited surprise was how many members have not returned to church. This may be the “down side” of online and alternate worship options coupled with our churches being closed for varying lengths of time. Other top surprises were the divisions within the congregation regarding the CSC guidelines and the fear, loneliness and isolation experienced by members.

There were no reported positive surprises. Two contrasting comments were: The majority wanted the church to remain open v Disappointed when some left the church due to the church remaining open.

Negative surprises included

· People called seeking agreement on politics vs. covid 19 treatment

· Pastors, elders, parish nurses unable to make visits

· Disappointed that pastor did not consult with parish nurse on information for how things should be done

Research Question #3

The third research question was “What was the most significant lesson learned”?

The most frequent response was “God is in control”. Closely related comments were “The only stable thing in the world is my faith in the sovereign God” and “The parish nurse can only do so much. It is up to the Holy Spirit”.

Other frequently cited themes included

· The effect of COVID-19 on seniors. Some said that seniors fared better than youth due to life experiences. Others said seniors suffered from the isolation.

· Lack of knowledge about the disease process led to panic and over reaction.

· Closing of the churches resulted in damage due to declining attendance, support, and volunteering.

Research Question #4

The fourth question was “How has the pandemic affected the mental health of your congregation?”

The most frequent responses were apathy and depression. Related observations included anxiety, frustration, fear, and loneliness.

Negative comments included

· People have aged and are more frail

· Took a toll on staff and they needed resources and then passed on to parishioners

· Difficult to grieve the many losses due to no funerals

Positive comments were

· People genuinely missed others—became closer

· Little impact on church and school grew due to staying open, little impact because few changes made

· Mental health has been in the news so much, hopefully the stigma is less.

Research Question #5

The fifth research question was “How has the pandemic impacted your mental health”?

The most frequent response was “I was depressed and disappointed”. Closely related comments included

· I knew my history of depression so increased Bible study and stayed in touch with loved ones.

· It was a challenge to remain optimistic and energetic.

· Felt alone

· Questioned some of my nursing convictions.

· Challenged my patience

· Personally lost 12 people

Other themes included:

· Unable to trust mainstream medical community

· Grateful for the positive things that resulted from COVID

Research Question #6

The last question was “Do you have a pandemic story to tell?”

From one summary sentence to a lengthy account, several of our respondents shared a pandemic story from their congregation or their personal walk. These are a sample of our stories.

“There is great joy in the use of cell phones with DUO app to be able to be in face-to-face contact with family and friends. Too bad someone cannot figure out real hugs virtually.”

“Even though we were not gathering to worship for a significant amount of time, we continued to have flowers delivered to church. We, of course, wanted to continue to support our local florist. Also—the flowers enhanced the chancel during our online worship. What was wonderful about these flowers was that after the service each week, they were delivered, without contact, to our members—different people each week. They were left on the steps or porches. The flowers helped to lift spirits during a dark time.”

“People used covid as an excuse from not being responsible for what they should be doing, being “lazy,” not following through.”

“I am very fortunate that my God has held me close and kept me safe during this ordeal. This has allowed me to (hopefully) be an example to those with whom I come in contact. I have felt rather stressed, at times. Especially when church members have looked to me for guidance regarding practices that should be followed during this pandemic, when we have other healthcare practitioners within our membership ho were not consulted with the same degree of frequency that I was (and continue) as a resource and guide.”

“My telephone was my stethoscope.”

“My cousin moved down here three years ago to live near the beach and be closer to family. One month ago next month she passed away from Covid 19. She was 62 years old with a history of COPD. She phoned me when she first became ill, but refused to see a doctor. I believe she was in denial. Within days she was severely dyspneic and was admitted to the hospital after going to the ER. She passed away a few days later after she was placed on a ventilator. High risk and unvaccinated, she would not accept the facts of how this might impact her outcome if she contracted the virus. Loved her much and miss her dearly.”

“Worked in the environment for 2 ½ years with strict work rules tile now where rules are decreasing. I just traveled to another state for 1 week tyrip and developed Covid on day 4, so a 7 day ended up being 15 day trip. Doing well now.”

“During the pandemic our area experienced a derecho that devastated our city. The pandemic was put on the back burner. People banded together to do what needed to be done. The resilience was amazing to see! As well as people being very generous in helping others and donations of money. I was able to gift over $30,000 to people who were in need. During this time God was at work as we started a Comfort Dog ministry and opened a Food Pantry that has now served over 400 families in our area and have contributed over 18 tons of food!”

“I made masks for Pastor hat matched his liturgical stoles. He liked them and he got a number of compliments. Into the 2^nd year he got a plastic face shield since some members could not hear or lip read with a mask.”

“I think what I want to remember most is the sacrificial love my husband showed during the pandemic. He is a Paramedic/Firefighter and was in the trenches of it all. He camped out in our basement for over 3 months in the beginning because he wasn’t sure if he would catch Covid and unknowingly pass it on to us. You see, I was Dx with DM during the pandemic, and our youngest son has a heart murmur and was Dx with an underdeveloped immune system when he was an infant. We didn’t know what that would mean for us if we contracted Covid. So many people were so angry about their rights and so focused on their wants, it broke my heart. I saw humanity in a different light and my prayers changed and are still affected to this day about what we really need in this world. I thank God for His sacrificial love for us by sending His obedient Son to die, so we can have eternal life with Him.”

“I retired from my local parish nurse ministry position in December 2019. My husband also retired, and our plans were to take a Panama Canal cruise to celebrate. We sailed in January 2020, and while onboard, we started hearing about a virus that was potentially dangerous. We disembarked in February and soon after experienced a national shut down due to Covid. God was with us and kept us safe and returned us to our homes before the shutdown. Later that year my daughter and son-in-law were delighted to find out they were expecting a long-awaited baby. Being pregnant and delivering a baby during Covid is a very different experience. A healthy baby girl was the blessing they received in April 2021. In October 2021, while Covid was still a very active virus, we relocated to be near our daughter and family. I see the hand of God working through our lives then, now, and forever.”

“My cousin oved down here 4 years ago to be nearby. We were friends too, not just relatives. At the time she became ill with COVID-19 she was unvaccinated. She was believing conspiracy theories and could not be reasoned with. She also has a chronic health issue that predisposed her to complications from COVID-19. She phoned me one evening to tell me she was ill, describing COVID-19 symptoms. She refused to see a doctor. Within 3 days she was in respiratory distress, still refusing medical care. By the time her daughter could get her to the hospital, it was basically too late. That was 11 months ago. Her death was sudden and unexpected—but still in God’s timing. A stark reminder that life is fragile and should be cherished.”

Conclusion

The initial research and our revisit have confirmed a few things and left some still unknown. We know it has been a journey unlike any we have had before. We know that we will never be back to “normal” but also are beginning to see a “new normal”.

One thing we do know— Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8