Within the nursing profession are many unique career opportunities, one being a Parish Nurse. This nursing professional would provide services based on a combination of medical expertise and religious faith. Therefore, while helping patients with medical needs, the Parish Nurse also has the means of providing spiritual healing too.
Parish Nursing Career, Role of a Parish Nurse
A Parish Nurse is known by several other titles to include a Congregational Nurse, Church Nurse, or Faith Community Nurse but no matter what this type of nurse is referred to as, he or she provides a specialized service. The standards of practice of which a Parish Nurse follows were established and officially approved by the American Nurses Association more than seven years ago. With this, the primary goal is to provide patients with holistic healthcare, meaning the patient is treated as a whole rather than just symptoms being treated, coupled with minimizing illness.
The role of a Parish Nurse is multidimensional. Along with providing conventional medical care, this type of nurse also offers education to the parish, and often the community with everything being done to also meet the patient’s spiritual needs. While a Parish Nurse is called upon to care for the sick and injured, this nursing professional also provides counseling and prayer services, and well as other things that relate to religion. Although some people work within a hospital or medical facility environment, a Parish Nurse might also work directly for a parish, church, or other religious organization.
Parish Nurse Educational Requirements
A person can apply to work as a Parish Nurse as a Licensed Practical Nurse, which comes from earning a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree although most are Registered Nurses who hold a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. In addition, a career as a Parish Nurse offers a number of additional programs whereby a Master’s degree would be required. Regardless of level of education or nursing degree, it is common for this medical professional to take ongoing medical and faith-based classes since the needs of patients constantly changes.
Parish Nurse Salaries
In most cases, the salary a Parish Nurse makes is based on level of education, as well as the organization for which the nurse works. However, recent reports show the average annual income is around $66,000 although those working with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and who have prior experience as a Parish Nurse can earn upwards of $93,000.
In addition, there are some religious organizations that will pay a salary less than the average but offer other benefits such as room and board that make up the difference. It is also important to understand that with any type of nursing career, other factors would play a role in salary. For instance, the geographic location of where the nurse works, the type of organization being worked for, level of nursing, and again, education and experience would all be considered. However, because there is a growing need for qualified Parish Nurses, a person who chooses this arena are usually offered the highest salary the hiring entity can afford to pay.
Parish Nurse Opportunities
Today, it is estimated that about 10,000 Parish Nurses work in North America but studies show as congregations keep expanding, the need for a nurse of this type will also be in greater demand. In fact, popularity of the Parish Nurse has grown so quickly that many countries now benefit from these services to include South Africa, New Zealand, the UK, Australia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Australia. Therefore, the future for working in this specialized are of nursing is very promising.
