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Nurse Chaplain Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

Mission Healthcare

Hospice Chaplain

Murrieta, CA · Hybrid

$35 - $40/hr

Collaborate with social workers, nurses, physicians, and other care team members to ensure holistic care. * Provide bereavement support to family's post-death, including follow-up calls and visits.

Mission Healthcare

Hospice Chaplain

Murrieta, CA · On-site

$35 - $40/hr

Collaborate with social workers, nurses, physicians, and other care team members to ensure holistic care. * Provide bereavement support to family's post-death, including follow-up calls and visits.

All JobsNurse Chaplain JobsNurse Chaplain Jobs in Riverside, CA

Nurse Chaplain information

See Riverside, CA salary details

$19

$32

$63

How much do nurse chaplain jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for nurse chaplain in Riverside, CA is $32.26, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $26.06 and $32.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a nurse chaplain, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Nurse Chaplain, you need a background in pastoral care or theology, clinical pastoral education (CPE) training, and often certification with a recognized chaplaincy organization. Familiarity with hospital protocols, electronic medical records, and spiritual assessment tools is typically required. Compassion, strong listening skills, cultural sensitivity, and emotional resilience enable effective spiritual support for patients, families, and staff. These skills ensure holistic care, addressing both spiritual and emotional needs in healthcare environments.

How does a nurse chaplain balance providing spiritual care with supporting the clinical needs of patients and the healthcare team?

A Nurse Chaplain plays a unique role by integrating spiritual care into the healthcare environment while also being mindful of patients' physical and emotional needs. They often collaborate closely with nurses, doctors, and social workers to ensure holistic care, offering counseling, prayer, or simply a listening ear as appropriate. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong communication skills, flexibility, and respect for diverse beliefs. Nurse Chaplains usually work within interdisciplinary teams, participating in rounds or care-planning meetings to address both spiritual and clinical concerns, ensuring patients receive comprehensive support during their healthcare journey.

What is the difference between Nurse Chaplain vs Clinical Pastoral Educator?

AspectNurse ChaplainClinical Pastoral Educator
CredentialsRN license, chaplain certificationChaplain certification, often with clinical pastoral education (CPE) training
Work EnvironmentHospitals, healthcare facilities, spiritual care departmentsHospitals, seminaries, pastoral training programs
Employer & IndustryHealthcare providers, hospitalsHealthcare institutions, pastoral education programs
Primary FocusProviding spiritual support to patients and staffTraining and supervising chaplains and pastoral care students

While both Nurse Chaplains and Clinical Pastoral Educators work within healthcare settings, Nurse Chaplains focus on providing spiritual care directly to patients and staff, often holding nursing credentials. Clinical Pastoral Educators primarily train and supervise future chaplains, emphasizing education and mentorship within pastoral care programs.

What is a nurse chaplain?

Nurse chaplains are professionals who provide spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and healthcare staff in medical settings. Combining nursing knowledge with pastoral care skills, they address the spiritual needs of individuals facing illness, trauma, or end-of-life situations. Nurse chaplains work as part of the healthcare team to offer counseling, prayer, and guidance regardless of a person's faith background. Their goal is to promote holistic healing by supporting the emotional and spiritual well-being of those in their care.
What are popular job titles related to Nurse Chaplain jobs in Riverside, CA? For Nurse Chaplain jobs in Riverside, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Nurse Chaplain jobs in Riverside, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Nurse Chaplain jobs in Riverside, CA are:
What cities near Riverside, CA are hiring for Nurse Chaplain jobs? Cities near Riverside, CA with the most Nurse Chaplain job openings:
Nurse Chaplain jobs near you
Infographic showing various Nurse Chaplain job openings in Riverside, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% As Needed, 58% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 23% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $67,096 per year, or $32.3 per hour.

Chaplain

Community Hospital San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • On-site

$32.38 - $48.17/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description


Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Chaplain, you will serve as a vital spiritual leader and compassionate caregiver within our hospital community, providing essential spiritual counseling and support to patients, families, and staff.
Every day, you will provide direct spiritual, religious, and existential care, offering compassionate presence, support, and appropriate rituals to patients, families, and staff, especially during times of crisis or grief. You will collaborate with the healthcare team to advocate for spiritual needs and integrate holistic care, ensuring respect for diverse beliefs.
To be successful in this role, you must be a highly compassionate individual, comfortable and skilled in engaging with people who may be emotional, panicked, stressed, or in pain. You'll need the proven ability to provide empathetic care, adapt to diverse spiritual needs, and communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

  • Provides spiritual support and counseling to patients, families, hospital staff and medical staff, taking special note of newly admitted, critically ill and those preparing for surgery.
  • In conjunction with the Mission and Spiritual Care Director and the Palliative Care Coordinator, develops, implements and maintains comprehensive palliative care processes for patients, families and staff.
  • Participates in patient assessment, documentation, consultation and ethical decision making with special emphasis on palliative care patients
  • Assesses pastoral/sacramental needs of patients, families and personnel and make appropriate referrals and/or follow-up as needed
  • Responds to all referrals to make a spiritual care assessment; provides appropriate follow-up care and documentation in department and medical records
  • Responds to all Code Blue or crisis situations on assigned units and provides spiritual and emotional support to patients, family members, hospital staff, medical staff and other patients. Acts as a liaison with medical staff and nursing staff
Job Requirements

Required

  • Bachelors Of Arts advanced study in theology or equivalent, upon hire or
  • Bachelors Of Science advanced study in theology or equivalent, upon hire or
  • ordained and faculties given by the Ordinary of the local Diocese Clinical Pastoral Education , upon hire and
  • Minimum of one (1) year of pastoral experience and
  • Board Certified Chaplain APC, within 12 - months or
  • Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, within 12 - months or
  • Board Certified Chaplain BCC, within 12 - months or
  • Catholic Chaplain, within 12 - months or
  • BCC - JEWISH CHAPLAIN, within 12 - months or
  • BCC - CANADIAN SPIRITUAL, within 12 - months


Preferred

  • Masters Other Divinity equivalent , upon hire and
  • Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education , upon hire
Where You'll Work

Founded in 1910, Dignity Health - Community Hospital of San Bernardino is a 343-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital. Serving over 75,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II NICU, maternity care and pediatrics, and behavioral health and long-term subacute care for adults and children. 

Additionally, Community Hospital of San Bernardino has been recognized with the gold seal of approval by the Joint Commission, as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and rated five stars for Children’s Subacute Center by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In 2025, we were voted Best Hospital by Inland Empire Magazine. 

Community Hospital of San Bernardino shares a legacy of humankindness with Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest health care systems, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care.

One Community. One Mission. One California 

Qualifications:

Required

  • Bachelors Of Arts advanced study in theology or equivalent, upon hire or
  • Bachelors Of Science advanced study in theology or equivalent, upon hire or
  • ordained and faculties given by the Ordinary of the local Diocese Clinical Pastoral Education , upon hire and
  • Minimum of one (1) year of pastoral experience and
  • Board Certified Chaplain APC, within 12 - months or
  • Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, within 12 - months or
  • Board Certified Chaplain BCC, within 12 - months or
  • Catholic Chaplain, within 12 - months or
  • BCC - JEWISH CHAPLAIN, within 12 - months or
  • BCC - CANADIAN SPIRITUAL, within 12 - months


Preferred

  • Masters Other Divinity equivalent , upon hire and
  • Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education , upon hire
Employment Type: Full Time

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