TY - JOUR
T1 - Elements of chaplaincy in Danish intensive care units
T2 - key-informant interviews with hospital chaplains
AU - Egerod, Ingrid
AU - Kaldan, Gudrun
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Critically ill patients often require spiritual counseling. In Denmark, most hospital chaplains are provided by the State Church. More knowledge is needed regarding health care chaplaincy in this semi-agnostic non-secular welfare society. Our study aimed to explore how hospital chaplains describe their role and elements of chaplaincy in relation to patient, family and healthcare professionals in Danish intensive care units. Using a multicenter qualitative design, we performed semi-structured key-informant interviews with ten hospital chaplains. Content analysis exposed elements of chaplaincy based on spirituality, rituality, neutrality, confidentiality, advocacy, and equality. Most elements are similar in other countries; the main differences are related to educational requirements, institutional integration, research activity, and documentation practice. Chaplains fill an ambiguous role, negotiating values of church and hospital. Modern chaplaincy is propelled toward professionalism, quantification, certification and evaluation. We discuss the contemporary role of hospital chaplains and the consequences of categorizing them as part of the ICU team.
AB - Critically ill patients often require spiritual counseling. In Denmark, most hospital chaplains are provided by the State Church. More knowledge is needed regarding health care chaplaincy in this semi-agnostic non-secular welfare society. Our study aimed to explore how hospital chaplains describe their role and elements of chaplaincy in relation to patient, family and healthcare professionals in Danish intensive care units. Using a multicenter qualitative design, we performed semi-structured key-informant interviews with ten hospital chaplains. Content analysis exposed elements of chaplaincy based on spirituality, rituality, neutrality, confidentiality, advocacy, and equality. Most elements are similar in other countries; the main differences are related to educational requirements, institutional integration, research activity, and documentation practice. Chaplains fill an ambiguous role, negotiating values of church and hospital. Modern chaplaincy is propelled toward professionalism, quantification, certification and evaluation. We discuss the contemporary role of hospital chaplains and the consequences of categorizing them as part of the ICU team.
KW - Chaplaincy Service, Hospital
KW - Clergy/psychology
KW - Denmark
KW - Hospitals
KW - Humans
KW - Intensive Care Units
KW - Pastoral Care
KW - Spirituality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111136729&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/08854726.2021.1949174
DO - 10.1080/08854726.2021.1949174
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34284688
SN - 0885-4726
VL - 28
SP - 540
EP - 554
JO - Journal of health care chaplaincy
JF - Journal of health care chaplaincy
IS - 4
ER -