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Parish Health Ministry: A Primer for Parish Involvement
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Section Two: The Parish Nurse Within Parish Health Ministry
What might it cost to provide a parish nurse?
The first step in planning a budget for parish nursing is to review the parish mission statement. As with any new position under consideration, it is important to anchor it within the context of the parish mission. Address the following concerns:
- Volunteer or paid position
Together with appropriate parish leadership, look at the feasibility of each option.
- Sponsorship possibilities
Identify any "partnering" possibilities from local health-care organizations or other potential sponsors.
- Scope and services
Which services and what population might benefit from these services?
- Full-time or part-time
How many hours will be needed to provide this ministry? (Ten hours is the suggested minimum.)
- Start up costs
What will it cost to begin and to sustain a parish nurse? Programming costs, mileage, health education materials, secretarial support, phone line, office space (including provisions for confidential records) are examples.
- Salary and benefits
Establish salary and benefits dependent on the factors above. Information on current salary ranges may be available from parish nurse preparation programs or the Archdiocesan Parish and School Personnel Office. The benefit package should be commensurate with that of other parish employees. Whether the nurse is full or part-time will influence the benefit package. Considerations include health insurance, sick days, holidays, funeral leave, dental insurance, mileage, continuing education
- Budget estimates
Look at the total of start-up and sustaining costs, salary, benefits and projection costs for the next several years. Is this project sustainable and is it possible to incorporate it into the parish budget? Partial funding of parish nurse ministries is commonly obtained from outside grants.Once the cost projections are established, it will be necessary to take the budget through the appropriate channels and committees for approval. For a parish, this usually will be the parish council and the finance and personnel committees. In a healthcare agency, it may be the administrative committee, board of directors, nursing services, or pastoral care departments. Once in place, the parish nurse must be fiscally responsible to maintain the program within the budget. The parish nurse should include budgetary information and concerns as part of ongoing discussions with his/her supervisor.
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