Not just for RNs! Faith Community Nursing Course provides professional growth
By Zandy Dudiak, Communications coordinator
Each fall, Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program offers the “Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course” to provide valuable education and resources to those preparing for faith community nursing and health ministry.
While the course is designed for registered nurses, health care professionals, and those interested in health ministry, others can benefit, too.
The course is open to those interested in whole-person health—balancing mind, body, and spirit—as related to personal growth and professional/volunteer development in social work, counseling, mental health, substance use, teaching, youth advocacy, senior advocacy, urban ministry, disabilities, public health policy, community health, and women’s and men’s health.
The five-day, 39.25-hour preparation curriculum is a hybrid course that includes virtual learning via Zoom and online learning modules. The course will be held October 1, 2, 16, 22, & 23, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Class size is limited to 20 participants.
Registered nurses who complete the course in its entirety will be commissioned as faith community nurses and receive 39.25 contact hours. The cost for registered nurses is $350 per person. Laypersons who complete the course will be commissioned as health ministers. The cost for laypersons and others is $250 per person.
All participants are required to purchase the Participant Guide (course textbook) before the course begins – see this link https://amzn.to/2NIG47d.
The Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program is an approved provider of the curriculum developed by the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing in Memphis, Tenn., a ministry of Spiritual Care Association (SCA). Each participant completing the program will be awarded a Westberg Institute certificate and RNs will receive a UPMC certificate for continuing education credits.
Limited, partial scholarship funds are available. A discount is available for Pittsburgh Mercy colleagues. Please inquire on the registration form. Be sure to ask about the early registration discount. To be eligible for the early registration discount, registration and payment must be postmarked by September 4, 2021. The course application deadline is September 17, 2021.
To register, download a copy of the course application, visit https://www.pittsburghmercy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021_Parish_Nurse_Course_Application_FINAL.pdf.
For late registration or more information about the course, contact the Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program at ParishNurse@pittsburghmercy.org or call 412-232-5815.
* The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. UPMC and ANCC do not endorse any commercial products as a result of this CE activity.
