LCA/NZ farewells parish nursing pioneer

Mrs Lynette Wiebusch, the founding president of the Lutheran Nurses Association of Australia (LNAA), has died, aged 79.

The president of LNAA for 10 years after it was founded in 1991, Lynette was responsible for introducing the concept of what is now known as pastoral care nursing to the LCA. She was the church’s first pastoral care nurse, serving at both Mount Barker and Dernancourt in South Australia.

She was a founding board member of the ecumenical Australian Faith Community Nurses Association and chaired the board for several years. She was also a founding board member for the global network, Lutheran Parish Nurses International.

Lynette was one of the first three graduates of Luther Seminary’s Graduate Diploma in Theology (Faith Community Nursing) and co-wrote LNAA’s Introduction to Pastoral Care Nursing course. Last year, the Parish Nursing Council of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the United States adopted this course as its Distance Education program.

The editor of the LNAA newsletter IN TOUCH from 1992 to 2018, Lynette was named an honorary LNAA Life Member in the LNAA’s awards on International Nurses Day in May this year.

The wife of Pastor Robert (Bob) Wiebusch, Lynette died on 30 November.