Reflecting on Clinical Practice Spiritual Care for Healthcare Professionals

In the past 10 years spirituality and spiritual care have been much debated in professional healthcare literature, highlighting the need for a recognised definition of spiritual care to enable appropriate assessment of, and response to, spiritual issues. This accessible and highly relevant book surveys the numerous statements, guidelines and standards highlighted by these discussions, and equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills and competence to provide the essence of spiritual care within their professional practice. Practical and evidence-based, this manual proves that delivery of good, professional spiritual care can build on intuitive human skills, and can be taught, learned, assessed and quantified. It gives readers the opportunity to move on from uncertainties about their role in the delivery of spiritual care by allowing them to asses and improve their understanding, skills and clinical practice in this area of care. Spiritual Care for Healthcare Professionals clearly grounds spiritual care in clinical practice. It is highly recommended for supporting academic study and encouraging healthcare practitioners to reflect on their practice and develop skills in spiritual assessment and care. Aimed at all healthcare professionals, it can be used by individual practitioners for continuing professional development as well as by academic staff developing educational programmes.

Gordon Tom, Kelly Ewan, David Mitchell

Introduction. The art of spiritual care. Self-awareness. Faith, belief and culture. Communication issues and skills. The healthcare team. Competence in spiritual care. Assessing and responding to spiritual needs. Disentangling spiritual and religious care. Spiritual assessment. Responding to spiritual and religious needs. Working with the complexities of spiritual care. Ethics and values in spiritual care practice. Loss, grief and bereavement. The personal impact of spiritual care. Nurturing our spiritual selves. The institution and staff. The unique role of the chaplain. Chaplain to the institution.