Pat Thorlton: Faith Community Nurse

Pat Thorlton, RN, brings a wealth of experience to her role as North Church’s part-time Faith Community Nurse (formerly Parish Nurse).

Nursing is a calling for me.  Since dealing with some health issues as a child, I had wanted to be a nurse. However, I got sidetracked with a family, among other things.

Helping a young woman from our Greenwood United Methodist Church congregation to deal with a health tragedy opened my ears to that calling. After watching me organize a care team for this young woman, my husband Jerry challenged me: ‘If you're ever going to go into nursing, now is the time.’  With support from my employer and my pastor (Dr. Robert Kessinger, former North Church associate pastor), I quit my job and registered for school.”

Pat, a graduate of I.U. School of Nursing, has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years, 10 of them as a parish nurse at Greenwood United Methodist Church. In 2000, Metro Ministries presented the “Building Better Neighborhoods” award to Greenwood UM recognizing the ministry of parish nursing.

She was a member of the first class for parish nurse ministry at University of Indianapolis leading to her becoming the first coordinator of parish nursing for Community Hospitals and then the first coordinator of parish nursing for Clarian Health where she completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education.

She is accredited faculty and consultant for the International Parish Nurse Resource Center based in St. Louis, Mo., and has taught several health ministry classes in Indianapolis.  Pat is a SignChiDo (Art of Moving Prayer) facilitator and has studied with Barry Bittman, MD (Health Rhythms – group drumming in healthcare) 

Pat sees her role of blending body, mind, and spirit as reaching beyond North Church’s walls. 

“Although I’ve been a staff nurse, a nurse manager, a nurse educator and a program coordinator, serving as North’s Faith Community Nurse really feels like I’m following my call,” Pat said.  “I’ve had many blessings in my life’s journey, and this is one of the best!”

Pat, a native of Clinton, Ind., is married to Jerry, a retired GM engineer; they share their Greenwood home with a big old cat named Joe.  She has two adult sons, Jim (Kara) and Jon (Angie) and five grandchildren.

She enjoys reading, music and traveling to any where along a coastal line.