For more information on health care Chaplains, see the white paper Professional Chaplaincy: Its Role and Importance in Healthcare.
Deborah Whisnand, Association of Professional Chaplains
Who is a health care Chaplain?
A health care Chaplain is a religious professional endorsed or in good standing in his or her faith tradition, who works in a health care setting.
What does a health care Chaplain do?
The health care Chaplain provides spiritual care to persons in physical, mental, spiritual, or social need in diverse health care settings. Such persons may include the health care professionals that offer care to patients/clients.
What education, training, and experience must one have to function as a professional health care Chaplain?
The Common Standards for Professional Chaplaincy outline the qualifications of a professional Chaplain. Qualifications include: (1) endorsement or good standing in accordance with the requirements of his or her faith tradition; (2) an undergraduate degree from a college, university, or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and a graduate-level theological degree from an accredited college, university, or theological school; (3) a minimum of four units of Clinical Pastoral Education accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation, or the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education.
How and by whom is a health care Chaplain supervised?
The size of the health care organization and the Chaplain’s position usually determine to whom the Chaplain reports. If the organization is large enough to support a department of spiritual care, then the staff Chaplain reports to a Chaplain who is the department director. In a smaller organization with only one or two Chaplains, the Chaplain may report directly to the organization’s vice president or president. A department of Chaplains is likely to report to the vice president of nursing, clinical services, or ancillary services.
What are the typical day-to-day activities of a health care Chaplain?
A typical day for a Chaplain encompasses a variety of activities. The Chaplain visits patients. If the Chaplain is one of several Chaplains in a department, he or she is likely to have a clinical specialization and function as a member of the corresponding interdisciplinary team. Such specialties can include oncology, palliative care, surgery, neurology, cardiovascular care, coronary care, women’s services, pediatrics, neonatology, organ transplant service, gene and cell transplantation, and renal disease. The Chaplain makes rounds, attends team meetings, consults on cases, and responds to all referrals and crises in the respective clinical units. The Chaplain may serve on hospital committees, such as the ethics committee, the Institutional Review Board, or the Joint Commission readiness committee. The Chaplain plans and conducts worship services in the facility chapel; services may include special religious holidays, memorial services, and other special occasions, as well as weekly worship. The Chaplain may also contact community clergy at the request of the patient.
Many Chaplains rotate in the on-call schedule for Chaplains in their facility. For example, a Chaplain might carry the on-call pager while Clinical Pastoral Education residents are in seminars. Some organizations provide 24/7 spiritual care with students on call overnight; other organizations employ an evening and/or night Chaplain.
Must a health care Chaplain be licensed or certified to function in his or her role as part of the health care team?
A professional Chaplain is certified by one of the certifying bodies for Chaplains. Currently, these professional associations include the Association of Professional Chaplains, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains.
What types of patients would benefit from the care of a health care Chaplain?
The Code of Ethics of the Association of Professional Chaplains states that “the spiritual dimension of a person is an essential part of an individual’s striving for health, wholeness and meaning in life.” Certified Chaplains treat all persons with dignity and respect, serving them without discrimination. Chaplains affirm the religious and spiritual freedom of all persons and refrain from imposing doctrinal positions or spiritual practices on persons whom they encounter in their professional role as Chaplain.
Viewing persons as spiritual, a Chaplain can assist the patient in addressing emotional and relational concerns, as well as overtly religious ones. Often, the Chaplain ministers to persons in emotional and/or spiritual distress or despair, and these issues may relate to or impact medical treatment or treatment decisions. The Chaplain has the ability to:
How and when does a health care Chaplain become involved in the care of a particular patient?
Physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals often refer patients or family members to the Chaplain. A Chaplain may follow up on a patient after making routine rounds. Patients or their significant others may request a visit from a Chaplain.
