Register now to attend the Fall 2025 course offered virtually!

Registered nurses of all faiths are invited to attend the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing training course. Faith Community Nurses draw a closer link between their faith and healthcare communities by acting as health educators and counselors to a faith community membership, as well as assisting with homebound, nursing home, and/or hospitalized congregation members. Through this nondenominational program, participating registered nurses receive continuing education hours, as well as the support and resources necessary to implement a Faith Community Nursing program in their faith community. Established in 1997 by Carle Health, the program has trained over 560 nurses who have found joy in serving their faith communities.

The Foundations of Faith Community Nursing is a baseline entry course for the ANA approved specialty of Faith Community Nursing (aka Parish Nursing, Church Nursing). The course is offered over three months on Fri & Sat: 8/22-23, 9/26-27 and 10/24-25. Fridays 5-9:30 pm, Saturdays 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. We are meeting in person. Synchronous online is possible. Fee of $400 includes text, meals during sessions. Registration is now open!!! Please contact Paula White, BSN, MSA, RN-BC, Lead Foundations Educator, to indicate your interest or for questions. Phone 269 330 3762 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please call or email to hold your spot!!! Once you have contacted Paula to discuss your enrollment and submitted a completed application, you will be contacted with a confirmation and additional details.

This Course is offered starting August 23^rd (12-4 pm) with an in-person meeting, followed by three additional weekly online synchronous Zoom meetings before the retreat.  

This course is a multi-part, hybrid offering that provides the foundational education necessary to prepare state-licensed RNs to enter the practice faith community nurse ministry in their respective congregation or faith community. The course is open to people of all faiths and religions. Foundations of Faith Community Nursing is a collaborative course offering of Sanford Health and Augustana University. It is based on the curriculum developed through the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing, which curriculum is owned by the Spiritual Care Association, 505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 900 New York, NY 10018.

Want to blend your nursing skills with your faith?  Our Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course will help prepare you to be a faith community nurse and incorporate spiritual care into your practice. This virtual course with 15 modules includes interaction with faculty and other students as well as self-paced learning activities. 

This course is ANCC approved for 37.5 contact hours for nurses in all 50 states!

Our students say:  "This course changed my life."  "Excellent instructors!"  "Your case studies helped us apply the learning to real life situations!"   "Outstanding course!"

Check our our website for details and contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

https://www.fcnntc.org/education/foundations-course/

This course is based on the 2024 Revised Curriculum from the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing owned by the Spiritual 
Care Association, New York, NY>

The West Virginia University School of Nursing offers a Faith Community Nursing course for individuals interested in helping to address the unique needs of faith-based organizations. The professional practice of faith community nursing 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.

This NEW course prepares faith community members or staff to lead health promotion efforts and provide support to members with health concerns. 

The virtual course includes five three-hour sessions over a 6 week period where participants will learn how to work with faith community leaders to build and sustain a health ministry.  We'll cover: 

• How to assess the whole-person health needs of your faith community.
• How to offer spiritual care along with support for physical and emotional health needs.
• How to help those experiencing loss and grief.
• How to support those with mental health issues.
• How to access resources and advocate for those in need.

Note:  This course does not prepare participants to be Faith Community Nurses. No medical background is needed to take this course.

Check out the details at: https://www.fcnntc.org/become-a-health-promoter/

The newly revised Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA and Health Ministry Association) will soon be available. 

How will this revision impact you? What's changed?

Sign up for this 10/9/25 virtual session to "demystify" the revisions so you're up to date in your practice!

Our speaker, Nancy Romanchek, MPH, was the Lead Editor for this joint effort of the Health Ministry Association and ANA.  Nancy will address these outcomes:

As a result of attending, you'll be able to:

 1.  Explain the significance of the Scope and Standards for our practice as FCNs.

2.   Identify the revisions in the 2024 Revised Edition.

3.   Apply the Scope and Standards to a variety of situations/scenarios.

4.  Discuss with colleagues how to apply the Scope and Standards to your FCN practice.

This program has been submitted for ANCC approval for three (3) professional nursing contact hours valid in all 50 states.

Did you know that 60% of faith community members surveyed in Linn County, Oregon would seek the advice of a faith community nurse if one were available? Are you called to this nursing practice specialty promoting health and wellness of the mind, body, and spirit?

The course will be ELEVEN half-day sessions held on Zoom from 8am – 1:00pm on the following Mondays and Tuesdays: October 20-21, 2025, October 27-28, 2025, November 3-4, 2025, November 10-11, 2025, November 17-18, 2025, & November 24, 2025. Please also save the date for our in-person graduation/dedication ceremony to honor our graduates on Sunday, November 30, 2025 from 2pm-4pm at Santiam Place in Lebanon, OR. All times are Pacific.

A limited number of scholarships are available upon request for residents of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties in Oregon.

The Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course is based on the 2024 curriculum developed through the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing, which curriculum is owned by the Spiritual Care Association of New York, NY, 500 7th Ave, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10018. This curriculum is updated every five years and reflects the most current ANA Scope and Standards of Practice and ANA Faith Community Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice at the time of publication. The curriculum is 36.5 hours with an additional 3 hours added to address Oregon State Board of Nursing and spiritual equity topics relevant to faith community nursing practice in Oregon. Please do not register for the course if you are unable to attend all the sessions as described below. Thank you.

This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by Oregon Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Approval valid through 10/20/2027 - OCEAN ID #2025-31. Completion of an evaluation form is required for continuing education credit. Due to ANCC requirements, students must attend all modules. Because of the highly interactive nature of the course, we cannot excuse students except in the case of emergencies (illness, funerals for next of kin, etc.). In such cases, we will allow a student to make up no more than two modules within two weeks after the final class session.The status of Faith Community Nurse cannot be granted unless the RN student meets attendance requirements.