University of Virginia Health System

Professional Chaplaincy: Its Role and Importance in Healthcare

A White Paper
Editors: Larry VandeCreek and Laurel Burton

^©The Association of Professional Chaplains
^©The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
^©The Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education
^©The National Association of Catholic Chaplains
^©The National Association of Jewish Chaplains

This project was funded by a grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.

Executive Summary

This paper describes the role and significance of spiritual care and is the first joint statement on this subject prepared by the five largest healthcare chaplaincy organizations in North America representing over 10,000 members. As a consensus paper, it presents the perspectives of these bodies on the spiritual care they provide for the benefit of individuals, healthcare organizations and communities.

Throughout this paper, the word spirituality is inclusive of religion; spiritual care includes pastoral care. Spiritual caregivers in healthcare institutions are often known as chaplains although they may have different designations in some settings, i.e. spiritual care providers.

This paper contains four sections, which are listed to the right. You will need Adobe^® Reader^® to view the sections.

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Section I describes spirit as a natural dimension of all persons and defines the nature of spiritual care. With the basic premise that attention to spirituality is intrinsic to healthcare, the paper establishes their relationship and outlines the various environments in which care is provided.

Section II answers the question, "Who provides spiritual care?" Professional chaplains provide spiritual care. This section describes their education, skill and certification.

Section III delineates the typical activities of professional chaplains within healthcare settings, focusing on their care of persons and their participation in healthcare teams.

Section IV describes how professional chaplains benefit healthcare patients and their families, staff members, employing organizations, and communities.