Parish Nurse or Faith Community Nursing

The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines Faith Community Nursing (FCN) as "the specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as part of the process of promoting holistic health and preventing or minimizing illness in a faith community."

Rather than dealing primarily with sickness in a faith community, parish nurses focus on wellness, disease prevention and health promotion. Responsibilities may include:

• Health education and teaching
• Personal health counseling for faith community members
• Coordinating with community health resources and acting as a church liaison
• Training and coordinating volunteers in support services
• Organizing health support groups
• Assessing congregational and community health needs
• Responding to health-related issues such as substance abuse, addictions and violence within congregational families or the surrounding community

To become a parish nurse, you must first become a licensed registered nurse (RN) by one of three educational paths:

• Getting a bachelor's degree in nursing
• Getting an associate's degree in nursing
• Getting a diploma from an approved nursing school program

You may then choose from a variety of specialized educational programs specific to parish nursing or faith community nursing. These include the following programs:

• Short parish nurse preparation courses
• A master's program that integrates nursing and faith ministry
• A doctoral program that integrates nursing and faith ministry
• If you already have a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN), you can pursue a post-master's certificate

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses earned a median annual salary of $64,690 in 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $52,980 and $79,020.

However, average RN salaries within the specialty of parish nursing are often significantly lower. In fact, many parish nurses are volunteers. A lot of churches cannot afford to offer competitive nursing salaries, so parish nurses work part-time and supplement their incomes with other nursing jobs. To be satisfied in a parish nursing career, you will need to be motivated by the non-monetary rewards of your work—the daily opportunities to improve physical and spiritual wellness within your community.
_{Sources:
University of Maryland, 2007
National Health Ministries, 2009}