Convening Spiritual Discussion Groups for Hospital Staff and Volunteers

Abstract

This article discusses the creation of time-limited spiritual discussion groups for clinical staff at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in Manhattan. Two different groups, one for staff and one for volunteers, are described and evaluated. The spirituality discussion groups were multi-disciplinary, with chaplaincy and social work as key organizers. MSK is a dedicated oncology hospital with approximately 500 inpatient beds and extensive outpatient treatment services. Palliative care and home support for end-stage disease is also a priority. MSK is committed to a whole-person approach to treatment, and has historically been supportive as an institution of its chaplaincy, social work, and psychology departments.