End of Life Care and the Chaplain's Role on the Medical Team.

Abstract

This article depicts a chaplain's role in various learning and teaching situations, including end-of-life care and cases requiring cultural competency and gender preferences. The cases exemplify and underscore the difference between the role of a chaplain and the imam, as well as the necessity to have imams and both male and female chaplains in the hospital. It also describes the training, education, pastoral formation, pastoral identity, and roots of pastoral care in the Islamic tradition. The article explores the challenges of this new profession and advocates having a Muslim chaplain available in the hospital to serve Muslim patients, families, and the non-Muslim staff.