You’ve probably seen job openings at faith-based hospitals while searching for your next travel nursing or allied assignment. According to one study conducted by MergerWatch and Madison Healthcare Advisors, 18.5% of all U.S. hospitals are faith-based facilities.
But is working at a religious healthcare institution right for you? We’ve outlined some common questions and important considerations below.
A faith-based hospital is a healthcare facility that operates with a particular religious affiliation as the foundation for its core values, often offering additional spiritual services such as chaplaincy programs.
Faith-based facilities essentially function as any secular hospital would. Though, where secular hospitals can be either public or private organizations, religious healthcare institutions are typically private, with few exceptions.
Just as all patients are welcome at faith-based hospitals regardless of religious affiliation, there are no expectations for healthcare professionals to align with the specific spiritual beliefs of that institution. That said, there are still requirements for traveling nurses and allied health specialists who wish to work at these facilities.
The main requirements to work at a faith-based healthcare facility are the same as any other hospital. As long as you have the proper certification or nursing license that allows you to work in that particular state, and you’re qualified for the position, you can apply for travel nursing jobs and allied health jobs at a religious healthcare institution with the same confidence you would anywhere else.
When taking a travel nursing assignment at a faith-based facility, it’s essential that you’re respectful of the facility’s culture and spiritual connections. Keeping an open mind to the ways the healthcare organization may differ from a secular facility will make the experience more fulfilling and insightful for you. This can also help you remain in good standing with hospital leadership.
Although you don’t need to align with the spiritual beliefs at the heart of a faith-based hospital, it’s important that you feel comfortable committing to the facility’s core values during your travel assignment. Core values are often a point of emphasis at faith-based healthcare facilities, so being able to embrace these tenets is critical. Often, these values center around a patient-first approach, with concepts like compassion, respect, and integrity at the center of the facility’s mission.
Working at a religious healthcare institution can be a great opportunity for travel nurses and allied health professionals seeking unique healthcare environments and experiences. Here are the top benefits of faith-based hospital assignments you should keep in mind when making your decision.
Secular facilities may offer counseling to patients, but holistic care centered on the spiritual and emotional needs of a patient is paramount at faith-based hospitals.
As a travel nurse or allied professional, discovering different approaches to care can help you become a more well-rounded healthcare provider. Seeing the unique ways staff at a faith-based healthcare facility interact with patients can even serve as a valuable lesson.
A faith-based environment often lends itself well to improving bedside manner and compassionate communication with patients—particularly those who seek comfort in their religious beliefs.
Whether or not working at a religious institution has spiritual significance for you, you’ll still have opportunities for meaningful experiences that contribute to your personal growth.
For instance, many of these healthcare facilities give employees the option to participate in group prayer before or after shifts. While this may not be something that impacts you on a spiritual level, simply witnessing or taking part in the activity can provide mindfulness and a feeling of team unity.
In fact, seeking out new experiences is shown to carry several psychological benefits, including a sense of purpose, boosted confidence, and stress reduction.
Even if you aren’t personally invested in the spiritual aspects of working at a faith-based healthcare facility, the community fostered in this environment is still something you can become part of and cherish as part of your travel healthcare experience.
Many of the core values at religious healthcare facilities are rooted in beliefs that translate outside of work, too. For example, Catholic healthcare organization Ascension has core values that align with caring for those in need, respecting the dignity of life, affirming hope and joy, and more.
Following these values as part of your travel healthcare work may even lead to you embracing the same values in your life outside of work as a means of helping your community.
One in five hospital beds in the U.S. is inside of a Catholic hospital, which means you could be missing out on valuable career opportunities if you’re not considering faith-based hospital jobs.
When looking for travel nursing assignments or travel allied health assignments, being open to working at religious hospitals allows you to find more jobs for your discipline and specialty in more locations across the country. It can even help you find employment opportunities with better pay.
If you’re hoping to expand your skills, strengthen your nursing or allied resume, and gain new experiences, religious healthcare institutions may provide the opportunities you’re searching for.
Your TRS Healthcare recruiter can help connect you to job openings at faith-based hospitals.
We work with several faith-based organizations, including Ascension, the largest Catholic hospital system in the U.S. and one of the leading faith-based healthcare networks. Ascension facilities in states like Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Tennessee frequently have job openings for a variety of healthcare disciplines and specialties with high pay.
“I had a great experience with Ascension. The staff there were welcoming and helpful, and the staff to patient ratios for psych were great,” said Andrea Hamrick, an RN with TRS Healthcare who worked an assignment at Ascension Via Christi Hospital St. Joseph in Wichita, KS.
Ready to give travel nursing at a faith-based hospital a try? TRS Healthcare can help you find your next assignment with Ascension or other faith-based healthcare organizations. Apply with us now!
