Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy最新文献

Demographic changes in Australia have led to an increase in both religious diversity and the number of people who do not nominate a faith affiliation at hospital admission. Models of chaplaincy have shifted from clerical and largely male to an increasingly skilled and diverse spiritual care workforce appointed directly by health services. This study uses survey and in-depth interview methods at an inner-city Australian hospital to examine patient preferences for hospital chaplaincy provided by faith communities, and the importance of faith affiliation compared to other spiritual care provider characteristics. Survey results indicate that of 110 respondents, a high proportion (74%) prefer spiritual care to be provided by a person of the same faith. However, when considered relative to other characteristics, faith affiliation was not as important as kindness, listening skills and a non-judgmental attitude. Our findings have implications for workforce planning and educating. Further research in different settings and with different populations will make the findings more generalizable.

The article explores hospital chaplains perspective on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the provision of spiritual care in Poland. Semi-structured interviews with sixteen hospital chaplains providing spiritual care in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic were performed. Six main themes emerged during the interviews: chaplains' experience of the pandemic, chaplaincy during the outbreak, patients' needs, health professionals needs, social stigma and discriminatory behaviours against chaplains, and the importance of spiritual care during the crisis. Results indicate that although the COVID-19 crisis has limited the possibilities of providing spiritual care in hospitals and has changed its nature, it has positively impacted the visibility of hospital chaplaincy. It also underpins the contribution of hospital chaplains to modern healthcare practice and suggests that chaplains role as key healthcare workers should be further recognized and their integration into the healthcare system is required.

Introduction: Little is known about chaplains' views on brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC). Thematic analysis of comments made by hospital chaplains about BD/DNC can illuminate their perspectives on working with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams during assessment for BD/DNC.

Materials and methods: In an electronic survey distributed to members of five chaplaincy organizations between February and July 2019, we elicited free-text comments about BD/DNC. We performed a thematic analysis of the comments.

Results: Four themes were present: (1) definition of life and death, (2) respect with a subtheme of physician obligation, (3) collaboration with a subtheme of communication, and (4) education with a subtheme of scepticism.

Conclusions: Hospital chaplains are essential members of the interdisciplinary team involved in BD/DNC evaluation. They aim to ensure the interaction between families and the interdisciplinary team at the boundary of life and death and the intersection between religion and medicine is respectful, collaborative, and educational.

Although many recognize the importance of addressing the spiritual domain in palliative care, empirically grounded interventions designed to alleviate spiritual needs for patients in palliative care are remarkably scarce. In this paper we argue that the development of such interventions for chaplains is important in order to improve spiritual care in a (post)secular and religiously plural context. We therefore propose an interfaith chaplain-led spiritual care intervention for home-based palliative care that addresses patients' spiritual needs. The intervention is based on elements of spiritual care interventions that have been investigated among other populations. Three important characteristics of the proposed intervention are (1) life review; (2) materiality, ritual and embodiment; and (3) imagination. The aim of this intervention is to improve palliative patients' spiritual wellbeing. It is anticipated that such a structured intervention could assist in improving spiritual care in palliative care.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), a training program for spiritual care providers, was adapted to meet the leadership development needs of a group of six healthcare managers. A focus group was conducted with the six participants to learn more about the program and its effects. Using thematic analysis, transcripts of the focus group were analyzed and seven themes were identified. Participants reported that the program facilitated trust and honesty, helped them connect to their emotions, and helped them respond to system-wide changes at work; that learning was facilitated by their connections with their peers in the group and with the facilitator; and that senior leaders' support for the program was key. They also reported that the name and course description were initially unclear and they wanted a follow-up program. This paper describes the program, presents these themes, and places CPE for Leaders in the context of other leadership models.

Despite the broad importance of pediatric spiritual care, most research focuses on oncologic and palliative care contexts. We aim to describe the utilization of pediatric chaplain services by children hospitalized for non-cancer chronic illnesses and to identify factors that predict utilization of chaplain services. Among 629 patients with 915 admissions, we found chaplain services were utilized in 5.0% of admissions. Utilization was similar between religiously affiliated patients (7.5%, 95%CI [5.3-10.6%]) and un-affiliated patients (6.4%, [3.6-11.0%]). Christian patients (7.3% [5.1-10.5%]) demonstrated similar utilization as non-Christian patients (7.0% [4.3-11.2%]). Utilization was significantly higher among patients with LOS >2 days (10.8% [7.9-14.6%]), compared to LOS ≤2 (1.7% [0.9-3.1%]). These results may represent an addressable gap in spiritual care, and they highlight an opportunity for pediatric chaplains to play a larger role in the holistic care of hospitalized children with chronic diseases, regardless of religious affiliation.

Professional development is a crucial aspect for further successful progression of an individual's skills and effective function in their role. It is also a compulsory part of registration for most professionals in the health care sector. This article reports on the evaluation of a monthly professional development program, specifically for spiritual care practitioners, offered over the period 2017-2019 by Spiritual Health Association (Victoria, Australia) and its partners. Many common themes such as motivation, culture, purpose and areas for improvement have been identified and are further examined. Recommendations such as greater emphasis on the professionalism in the sector, broader inclusions of sessions across culture and ethnicity and the development of cross disciplinary communication skills are made for the future of this program.

Tea for the Soul (TFS) is an understudied care model, addressing bereavement and other emotional needs of nurses related to impactful patient care experiences. Nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue, moral distress, and burnout. Facilitated by a Chaplain, the TFS program provides participants a venue to express their feelings and explore ways of adapting effectively with the death of a patient, and other traumatic workplace experiences. In this qualitative grounded theory study, hospital nurses (N = 7) who participated in TFS were interviewed. IRB approval was obtained. Questions were constructed within the context of the medical center research council and asked if TFS: (a) was personally beneficial, (b) helped nurses feel better about their work, and (c) affected job satisfaction. Four core themes emerged: (a) Nurses' Self-Care, (b) Professional Practice, (c) Community, and (d) Improved Patient Care Outcomes. The Roy Adaptation Model, Group Identity Mode was applied to the content analysis. Overarching themes were Compassionate Service, Ministry of Presence, Reflective Practice, and Sacred Encounters. Nurses reported that TFS facilitated a spiritual respite and a sense of enhanced community and was a source of strength and coping, thus may aid in the promotion of nurse well-being and the amelioration of moral distress, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

Spiritual beliefs and practices have long served as a critical component of treating or managing serious illness. There is evidence to suggest that patients would like healthcare professionals to address their existential and spiritual needs. The CASH Assessment Tool focuses on four key areas of spiritual concern: Care, Assistance/Help, Stress, and Hopes/Fears. In this QI Project, a palliative care team within an urban, safety net, tertiary-care, and academic healthcare setting sought to elicit themes from the CASH assessment used by chaplains caring for patients with serious illnesses. Thirty patients were included in the pilot. Themes identified included knowing the patient as a person, concern about loved ones, concern about pain, and fear of death. We found that the CASH Assessment Tool was able to demonstrate the existential concerns of patients and serve as a framework for discussion about concerns and hopes of patients with serious illness.