X J S Sujin Rosie, Anja Visser, Annelieke Damen, Erik Olsman, Carmen Schuhmann, Gaby Jacobs, Marjo van Zundert, Hanneke Muthert
{"title":"Goals and outcomes of chaplaincy in varying outpatient, primary, and community care contexts.","authors":"X J S Sujin Rosie, Anja Visser, Annelieke Damen, Erik Olsman, Carmen Schuhmann, Gaby Jacobs, Marjo van Zundert, Hanneke Muthert","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2025.2507411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2025.2507411","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several studies have examined the goals and outcomes of chaplaincy within institutional settings. Our study contributes to the literature by examining whether chaplaincy goals and outcomes are specific to different outpatient, primary, and community care contexts. We conducted a round of 9 and one of 8 focus groups, with clients, chaplains, and other professionals from five contexts: the Dutch earthquake zone, general healthcare, pediatric palliative care, care for the unhoused, and veteran care. Using an explorative, descriptive and quantitative design, 77 goals and 59 outcomes are compared and categorized in a four-quadrant framework. Our findings show few differences between goals and outcomes of different contexts. However, the goals of care for the unhoused and veterans focus more on the inner experience of the relationship with the chaplain. Non-context-specific goals and outcomes might be related to how chaplaincy is approached, and the context-specific ones to existential concerns in the care contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144152342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pamela Lazor, Jason Weiner, Alex Lawton, Jonathan Schreiber, Beth L Muehlhausen, George Fitchett
{"title":"Evaluation of spiritual care services at Cedars Sinai hospitals: employees' views.","authors":"Pamela Lazor, Jason Weiner, Alex Lawton, Jonathan Schreiber, Beth L Muehlhausen, George Fitchett","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2025.2506919","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2025.2506919","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2022, the Spiritual Care (SC) program at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Southern California undertook an evaluation of their services. It included a survey and focus groups to learn how the staff at Cedars Sinai hospitals perceived and utilized SC services for patients, visitors, and themselves. Survey participants included 554 staff members; 314 of those reported direct contact with patients. The eight focus groups had 28 participants. Respondents with direct patient contact were aware that chaplains are available for patient and family support (302/314; 96%). A majority knew how to make a referral to SC (217/302; 72%). Focus group results emphasized the importance and value of SC while recommending ways to improve services. More education of staff is needed regarding what SC includes, when and how to refer patients to SC and the benefits of SC for staff.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Faith Group Endorsement: opportunity or challenge for professional chaplaincy?","authors":"Nina Redl, George Fitchett, Kristin B Golden","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2025.2498848","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2025.2498848","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Faith Group Endorsement (FGE) is required for the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) board certification and the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) educator certification. It was established in the early days of professional chaplaincy but recent social changes, including changes in the U.S. religious landscape, create obstacles for obtaining and maintaining FGE for many candidates and raise questions about its value. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 78 key informants, examining the value of and the challenges associated with FGE. Participants reported that FGE is essential to the formation and identity of professional chaplains, but there are serious problems with the current process for obtaining FGE.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144064731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel H Grossoehme, Shelley E Varner-Perez, Patrick Baxter-Andrews, Miraides Brown, Sean Drummond, Rachel Jenkins, Sarah Friebert, Alexia M Torke
{"title":"Proof of concept, feasibility, and acceptability of spiritual care assessment and intervention-pediatric with caregivers of children receiving home mechanical ventilation.","authors":"Daniel H Grossoehme, Shelley E Varner-Perez, Patrick Baxter-Andrews, Miraides Brown, Sean Drummond, Rachel Jenkins, Sarah Friebert, Alexia M Torke","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2413812","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2413812","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Caregivers of children with medical complexity face daily tasks comparable to pediatric critical care nursing with multiple stressors. This may result in emotional and spiritual distress. Caregivers may also rely on their religion and spirituality to cope. Chaplains have the potential to support caregivers in this setting, beginning with spiritual assessment. This study's purpose was to verify the feasibility and acceptability of the Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention framework adapted for home-based chaplaincy with caregivers of children receiving home mechanical ventilation (SCAI-Peds). A quasi-experimental, proof-of-concept trial with N = 6 caregivers and two board certified chaplains was carried out. SCAI-Peds was acceptable and feasible to caregivers, delivered with high fidelity, and was also acceptable to the chaplains. Home-based intervention delivery may provide more room for reflection and reframing than acute care settings. The results warrant advancing SCAI-Peds beyond the pilot stage.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"147-160"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142477243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer A Palmer, Ryann L Engle, Justeen Hyde, Beth Ann Petrakis, D Keith McInnes
{"title":"Addressing spiritual needs of Veterans post-incarceration: a needs assessment.","authors":"Jennifer A Palmer, Ryann L Engle, Justeen Hyde, Beth Ann Petrakis, D Keith McInnes","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2422270","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2422270","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers spiritual supports to Veterans nationally through its Chaplaincy Service and its Whole Health initiative. There are no systematic efforts to extend spiritual supports to Veterans re-entering community post-incarceration, however. Thus, the full potential of spiritual supports in bolstering well-being and minimizing recidivism during re-entry may not be fully realized. To explore this potential and ways to optimize it for re-entry Veterans, we conducted an exploratory needs assessment. We interviewed six re-entry Veterans and six staff members who work in re-entry to explore perceived spiritual needs in re-entry and ways to address such needs; we analyzed interview data thematically. Several themes emerged: 1) Spirituality as pluralistic; 2) Positive impacts of spirituality; 3) Tensions around the immediacy of spiritual needs; 4) Current spiritual supports and their limitations; and 5) Suggested improvements. We propose initiatives which VHA might pursue to verify and support re-entry Veterans' spiritual needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"97-110"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142629145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dirk Labuschagne, Patricia Palmer, Allison DeLaney, Kristen Schenk, George Fitchett
{"title":"Development of the ONC-5: A quantifiable assessment of spiritual concerns for adult oncology patients.","authors":"Dirk Labuschagne, Patricia Palmer, Allison DeLaney, Kristen Schenk, George Fitchett","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2399992","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2399992","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Religious and spiritual (R/S) beliefs are crucial coping resources for cancer patients, yet there's no standard spiritual assessment approach. We developed the ONC-5, an evidence-based model to quantify patients' spiritual concerns in adult oncology. Seventy-one patients with diverse cancer diagnoses completed a survey and a semi-structured ONC-5 interview with a chaplain. Measures included the distress thermometer, PHQ-2, R/S struggle, and spiritual well-being. Thirty interviews were reviewed for inter-rater reliability. Spearman correlations assessed validity, and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was calculated for inter-rater reliability. Results showed 20% of patients had moderate or severe spiritual concerns. ONC-5 scores correlated with R/S struggle (r = .247; <i>p</i> = .038) and spiritual well-being (r = -.247; <i>p</i> = .038). The CCC of 0.4411 indicated moderate agreement. The ONC-5 helps chaplains identify spiritual concerns, prioritize care, and measure improvements. More research is needed to test its validity and reliability in diverse populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"111-126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143469214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kelsey B White, Paul Galchutt, Khanya Collier, Csaba Szilagyi, George Fitchett
{"title":"Chaplains' reports of integration in community health initiatives: a qualitative study.","authors":"Kelsey B White, Paul Galchutt, Khanya Collier, Csaba Szilagyi, George Fitchett","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2401742","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2401742","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health care and religious organizations have a long history with one another. Chaplains' investments in the health and wellbeing of their local communities have extended beyond the hospital walls for longer than many chaplains may recognize. However, the published evidence suggests these efforts have been limited. Given the history of health care evolution in the United States, the small evidence of cases highlighting chaplains' leadership within community health initiatives, and the pressure for health systems to address the social determinants of health, we sought to explore chaplains' integration in community health and wellness initiatives. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of interviews with chaplains working to promote community health and wellness (n = 10). The identified themes highlight factors at the individual chaplain level, such as how chaplains got involved, characteristics of the chaplains' contexts, and the impact of chaplains' involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"127-146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142298140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Megan C Best, Jenny Washington, Kate Jones, Maggie Brunker, Matthew Kearney
{"title":"Measuring the impact of a pastoral care intervention to increase referrals and improve the quality of chaplain documentation in patient records.","authors":"Megan C Best, Jenny Washington, Kate Jones, Maggie Brunker, Matthew Kearney","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2431471","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08854726.2024.2431471","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The complexity of patient care demands that health care teams collaborate effectively. This means that when pastoral care staff engage with patients, they need to communicate their findings to other members of the multidisciplinary team to maximize patient benefits. In 2016, an Australian hospital found that pastoral care staff were able to visit only 30% of admitted patients, and that documentation of pastoral care visits was minimal. This paper describes and measures the impact of a quality improvement education program for pastoral care workers by auditing patient medical records pre- and post-intervention. The intervention did not significantly increase the number of pastoral care visits or referrals. Documentation of pastoral care visits was significantly improved in terms of the detail provided. More work is required to standardize indications for pastoral care referral and templates for pastoral documentation in patient medical records.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"161-174"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142773551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karen K Heistand, Maureen J Cleverley, Valerie DeCora Guimaraes, Samantha Nichols, Jacek T Soroka, Mary M Triplet, Morris D Wakeley
{"title":"American Indian smudging in hospital settings: a qualitative case study.","authors":"Karen K Heistand, Maureen J Cleverley, Valerie DeCora Guimaraes, Samantha Nichols, Jacek T Soroka, Mary M Triplet, Morris D Wakeley","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2025.2481815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2025.2481815","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Smudging is a spiritual custom extensively practiced by American Indians, yet little is known about smudging in hospital settings. To better understand the spiritual needs of hospitalized American Indian patients, we performed a qualitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional study, consisting of semistructured interviews with nine hospitalized American Indian patients. We identified four major themes: accessibility, role of chaplains/staff, experiences of the ritual, and cultural connection. Smudging is an important component of holistic health care, contributing to patient well-being and satisfaction. .</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143701749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The value of chaplains to healthcare systems: a qualitative study of the perspectives of executives, nurses, patients, and family members.","authors":"Stephanie L Harris, Martin Shaw","doi":"10.1080/08854726.2025.2481816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2025.2481816","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research to measure the value of chaplains is a burgeoning area of interest, as staffing decisions may be contingent on demonstrating a return on investment. Healthcare executives are often faced with difficult staffing decisions that require weighing the support of organizational mission with practical financial implications. This qualitative study utilized thematic analysis to present the perceptions of C-suite executives and two key constituencies - nurses and patients/family members - on the value of chaplains. Results indicate that all three groups value chaplains for their roles in providing support and comfort. Healthcare executives recognize the alignment of chaplains with organizational mission within a faith-based setting but also desire metrics that tie staffing to measurable outcomes. Other organizations exploring chaplain staffing and return on investment may benefit from using mixed-methods research to inform their decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":45330,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}