Westberg Institute (WI)
The WI, named after Granger Westberg the founder of parish nursing, has been a non-membership association providing numerous resources and an annual Westberg Symposium. WI joined the Spiritual Care Association (SCA) as part of the Nursing Division on November 1, 2020, as a membership organization within SCA. WI will continue to provide resources to members and nonmembers, including the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Curriculum: Participant Guide (2024 revision).

https://www.westberginstitute.org/

Over the past several years, the Westberg Institute has published several position papers related to various aspects of parish nurse/faith community nurse practice.  The papers further elaborate and clarify the Scope and Standards of Practice of the Faith Community Nurse.  Links to these position papers follow: 

Comparing Other Nursing Specialties to Faith Community Nursing
Compensation of the Faith Community Nurse
Documentation 
Evidence-Based Practice and the Faith Community Nurse
Faith Community Nursing and Home Health Nursing
Faith Community Nursing: Hands-On, Direct Care, and Specialized Care
Inclusion Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity
Research and Scholarship 
Transitional Care 
Wholistic Health 

"When using information in part or in whole from the Position Statements on this website, use the citation format found at the end of the document."

Spiritual Care Association (SCA) / Nursing Division
SCA is the first international multidisciplinary professional membership association for spiritual care providers, including chaplains, nurses, and social workers. SCA has established a focus on evidence-based practice, evidence-based indicators, and the outcomes of practice. SCA provides a multidisciplinary annual conference, the Caring for the Human Spirit Conference. The Nursing Division is available at https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/divisions/nursing/
https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/

Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice

The Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 4th Edition (updated in 2025) is an essential document for every faith community nurse practicing in the United States.

The scope of practice statement answers the who, what, when, where, how, and why questions of faith community nursing. The standards provide authoritative statements of the actions and behaviors that all faith community nurses are expected to competently perform, regardless of role, population, specialty, and setting. Each standard is accompanied by detailed competencies for the three practice levels.

The Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Curriculum
The Foundations curriculum manuals are available through the Westberg Institute (WI) and the Spiritual Care Association Nursing Division (see: https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/divisions/nursing/)
The Westberg Institute offers educational programs for Parish Nurses/Faith Community Nurses to become Foundations Educators

American Nurses Association (ANA)
The ANA represents the five million nurses in the United States, with members in all of the 50 states and the US territories. ANA provides professional representation, establishes standards of practice and ethics, numerous resources, and education. Otherwise referenced as "Nursing World", ANA hosts the development of the Code of Ethics, Nursing Standards, Position Statements, and Principles for Nursing Practice available at https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-ana/standards/. The ANA and HMA 

Code of Ethics for Nurses 2025 (ANA)
The 2025 Code of Ethics for Nurses reaffirms and expands the ethical foundation of the nursing profession, now with ten provisions that illuminate the essential relationships central to nursing practice. Grounded in nursing's enduring commitment to health and social justice, the code serves as a timeless yet dynamic foundation to nursing theory, practice, and praxis, expressing the values, virtues, ideals, and obligations that shape and guide the profession. This revised 2025 edition retains the nine provisions from the 2015 code, with updates to reflect the evolving needs of nursing practice.

CINAHL

CINAHL Database

CINAHL, or the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, is a vital resource for nurses, allied health professionals, researchers, educators, and students seeking to conduct thorough research in their fields. It offers a comprehensive indexing of nursing and allied health literature, which includes a variety of journals, books, dissertations, and conference proceedings across multiple disciplines. CINAHL features a user-friendly interface, subject headings aligned with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and searchable cited references, facilitating efficient research. The database encompasses topics such as biomedicine, alternative medicine, and numerous allied health specialties like physical therapy and nutrition.

The following link takes you to a document that provides information on CINAHL access as of 10/10/2026. It is a moment in time and may change at anytime and periodically. If you are looking for sources of research and evidence based practices, this may be an helpful starting place. 

CINAHL DATABASE ACCESS SUMMARY - 10/10/2026

For more information about CINHAL and what it offers CLICK HERE.

Faith Community Nurses International (FCNI)
FCNI is a specialty membership nursing organization for faith community nursing. FCNI provides resources, committee opportunities, and educational programs that are now on Vimeo. The FCNI Research Forum is generally presented during the Westberg Symposium.
Faith Community Nurses International - Home (fcninternational.org)

Health Ministries Association (HMA)
The mission of the Health Ministries Association (HMA) is to encourage, support and empower leaders in the integration of faith and health in local communities. HMA includes faith community nurses, health ministers, program leaders, and spiritual leaders who have developed health ministries in diverse faith communities.

The HMA aspires to engage, educate and empower people of faith to be passionate and effective leaders for creating healthier communities. https://hmassoc.org/

Journal of Christian Nursing (JCN)
The Journal of Christian Nursing is an award-winning professional peer-reviewed journal published quarterly since 1984. JCN is dedicated to the integration of faith and nursing utilizing a biblically-based Christian perspective, and is the membership journal for Nurses Christian Fellowship. Continuing nursing education programs are available in each issue. https://ncf-jcn.org/resources/journal-christian-nursing

Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF)
NCF, a professional nursing membership organization, has a fascinating history that extends back to the 1930s and 1940s (see: https://ncf-jcn.org/about-ncf/history-ncf). NCF partners with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship extending the focus on faith, learning, and practice. The Journal of Christian Nursing (JCN) is the official membership journal for NCF. NCF offers discounted membership to LFCNA members. Go to https://ncf-jcn.org/ for more information on NCF.