Qualifications of a Parish Nurse

A parish nurse fills a health ministry to help people understand how lifestyle, faith and well-being are interconnected. While there is an established core curriculum to educate nurses in the basics of this specialty, there are wide variations in the nurse's role, responsibilities, settings and level of autonomy. For this reason, qualifications for a parish nurse tend to be specific to a particular congregation, health system or community organization.

Role

• A parish nurse may serve a number of roles, including health educator, personal health counselor, communication link and community support between a church and its members, volunteer recruiter and coordinator, health support group facilitator and resource for determining, analyzing and meeting the health needs of a congregation. In many cases, a parish nurse ministry is established by a nurse with a particular interest or expertise, such as chronic disease management, health promotion or geriatrics.

Settings

• A parish nurse serves members of one or more faith-based congregations, and often extends her health ministry to community residents as well. A parish nurse may be sponsored by a congregation, a hospital or health system and/or a community organization. Some congregations hire full-time parish nurses, and others provide a modest stipend for part-time service, but quite a few view the position as a way for a nurse to serve a health ministry with no financial reimbursement.

Education

• A nurse who wants to become a parish nurse completes the standardized basic parish nurse core curriculum approved by the International Parish Nursing Resource Center and available through a local college, university, health system or other professional organization. Many experts recommend taking courses at a seminary or other institute of higher learning to gain spiritual and/or theological knowledge. She can then access ongoing education, guidance, support and consultation through the Office of National Health Ministry to establish, maintain and grow an effective parish nurse ministry.

Experience

• Because a parish nurse operates in a very independent, autonomous role, it's important for him to have a solid base of clinical knowledge and skill, critical thinking skills and organizational abilities to ensure safe and effective practice. A nurse can gain this experience in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals and other acute-care facilities, long-term care facilities, home health agencies and ambulatory care centers.

Certification

• A parish nurse must meet state-specific criteria for completing an approved undergraduate nursing degree and passing the national exam known as the NCLEX to earn her RN license. While many parish nursing courses offer a certificate of completion, there is currently no nationally approved certification for the specialty. However, there is a task force working to establish a national portfolio-based certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).