Is there a role for faith communities in the provision of spiritual care in health? Il y at -il u... more Is there a role for faith communities in the provision of spiritual care in health? Il y at -il une place pour les soins spirituels dans les soins de santé?
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
Chaplain leadership may have played a pivotal role in shaping chaplains’ roles in health care ami... more Chaplain leadership may have played a pivotal role in shaping chaplains’ roles in health care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We convened an international expert panel to identify expert perception on key chaplain leadership factors. Six leadership themes of professional confidence, engaging and trust-building with executives, decision-making, innovation and creativity, building integrative and trusting connections with colleagues, and promoting cultural competencies emerged as central to determining chaplains’ integration, perceived value, and contributions during the pandemic.
Professional development is a crucial aspect for further successful progression of an individual&... more Professional development is a crucial aspect for further successful progression of an individual's skills and effective function in their role. It is also a compulsory part of registration for most professionals in the health care sector. This article reports on the evaluation of a monthly professional development program, specifically for spiritual care practitioners, offered over the period 2017-2019 by Spiritual Health Association (Victoria, Australia) and its partners. Many common themes such as motivation, culture, purpose and areas for improvement have been identified and are further examined. Recommendations such as greater emphasis on the professionalism in the sector, broader inclusions of sessions across culture and ethnicity and the development of cross disciplinary communication skills are made for the future of this program.
Professional chaplains play an important role in addressing the religious and spiritual needs of ... more Professional chaplains play an important role in addressing the religious and spiritual needs of patients in healthcare. This chapter offers an overview of their work worldwide with attention to variations associated with national context. A description is given of, among others, the contemporary context in which chaplains operate and emerging issues for the future; models for spiritual care in healthcare including the distinction between spiritual care generalists and specialists; chaplains’ training, competencies, certification and registration; chaplains’ ethical practice, scope of practice and quality indicators; screening and assessment tools, interventions and outcomes; and finally research into chaplaincy. At the end of the chapter resources are offered for more detailed descriptions of spiritual care in various national contexts.
Objectives: National standards in Australia acknowledge the significance of spiritual care in the... more Objectives: National standards in Australia acknowledge the significance of spiritual care in the provision of holistic care, understanding that peoples’ beliefs and values impact their experience and health outcomes. While spiritual care has been provided in Australian hospitals for many decades little attention has been given to changes in the workforce and the implications for quality of care. This study aimed to further understanding of the key influences and mechanisms for change to ensure safe and high-quality spiritual care provision in Australia by a qualified and credentialed workforce. Methods: This study used a qualitative case study design which included interviews and analysis of archived records. Narrative analysis produced an extensive organisational case study from which a timeline of key changes significant to the spiritual care workforce was constructed to inform this paper. Results: There have been movements towards a professional spiritual care workforce, but pr...
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
This paper presents and discusses data from three of the qualitative questions in the internation... more This paper presents and discusses data from three of the qualitative questions in the international COVID-19 survey: What was the most important aspect of spiritual care that was lost during the pandemic? What was new to you during this pandemic? What are the new ways of delivering spiritual care you have experienced? Of these new experiences, what do you think was the most effective?
The Enhancing Quality and Safety: Spiritual Care in Health National Consensus Conference brought ... more The Enhancing Quality and Safety: Spiritual Care in Health National Consensus Conference brought together key stakeholders from across Australia to agree a national framework to ensure quality and safety in spiritual care services through a nationally consistent approach to the provision of spiritual care in Australian hospitals. A working group planned the conference that was held over two days. Invitations were distributed to a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a diversity of voices contributed to the outcomes. The conference proceedings included presentations, small group work and facilitated discussion to enable progress on the conference objective. A conference report of the key outcomes was produced and widely distributed. The national consensus conference outcomes described five principles for the design and delivery of spiritual care services for the Australian context. Ten policy statements described key deliverables that could be used to benchmark and measure a national...
Research increasingly demonstrates the contribution of spiritual care to patient experience, well... more Research increasingly demonstrates the contribution of spiritual care to patient experience, wellbeing and health outcomes. Responsiveness to spiritual needs is recognised as a legitimate component of quality health care. Yet there is no consistent approach to the models and governance of spiritual care across hospitals in Australia. This is consistent with the situation in other developed countries where there is increased attention to identifying best practice models for spiritual care in health. This study explores the views of stakeholders in Australian hospitals to the role of spiritual care in hospitals. A self-completion questionnaire comprising open and closed questions was distributed using a snowball sampling process. Analysis of 477 complete questionnaires indicated high levels of agreement with ten policy statements and six policy objectives. Perceived barriers to spiritual care related to: terminology and roles, education and training, resources, and models of care. Responses identified the issues to inform a national policy agenda including attention to governance and policy structures and clear delineation of roles and scope of practice with aligned education and training models. The inclusion of spiritual care as a significant pathway for the provision of patient-centred care is noted. Further exploration of the contribution of spiritual care to wellbeing, health outcomes and patient experience is invited.
Health care in industrialized countries is increasingly focused on outcomes (Department of Health... more Health care in industrialized countries is increasingly focused on outcomes (Department of Health, 2013). The reasons for this focus are complex and contextualized but adopting this new currency is a central driver in each of the health care systems in the countries we represent (Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and the United States). Primary to this focus is the recognition that the cost of health care as currently provided is unsustainable. The funding of interventions and care providers is increasingly evaluated against the data for the efficacy of the intervention; that is, does it serve one or more valued outcomes? Valued outcomes are generally those that reduce costs, improve the quality of care and patient experience often measured by patient satisfaction, and=or enhance health outcomes often measured by cure rates, reduced lengths of stay, or reduced use of health care resources (Berwick, Nolan, & Wittington, 2008). There is increasing evidence that patient experience contributes along with patient safety and clinical effectiveness in influencing outcomes (Doyle, Lennox, & Bell, 2013). Whereas chaplains have generally been exempt from this economic focus, increasingly the value of chaplaincy care is being evaluated on these criteria. A common conceptualization resulting from this shift is ‘‘volume to value’’ (Porter & Teisburg, 2006). Thus, outcome measures that can be determined to contribute value are preferred over the number of patient contacts. The issue is howmuch value a health care individual or an intervention adds to the system. Michael Porter at Harvard Business School has defined value as quality divided by cost (Porter & Teisberg). Concurrently, there has been increased focus on moving the person to the center of care and thereby differentiating between clinical and personal outcomes. Clinical outcomes are what a clinician wants for the patient often through a medical lens as opposed to personal outcomes which are what a person wants=desires for themselves in terms of function= way of being following a health care intervention. Such a person-centered approach focuses on the assets, capacity and resilience of individuals and takes into consideration their natural support systems, including community based resources. It involves working toward co-production of well-being rather than Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20:43–53, 2014 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0885-4726 print=1528-6916 online DOI: 10.1080/08854726.2014.902713
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
This paper focuses on the impact of COVID19 in Australia. Three areas were investigated: professi... more This paper focuses on the impact of COVID19 in Australia. Three areas were investigated: professionalism, contrasting hospital and aged care services and “business as usual”? Impact was low overall, the timing being pre-second wave impact. Two areas of weakness were highlighted: depleted spiritual care teams due to standing down non-professional staff and uncertainty about the role of Chaplains in the care of other staff. Further study of second wave impact is recommended.
Is there a role for faith communities in the provision of spiritual care in health? Il y at -il u... more Is there a role for faith communities in the provision of spiritual care in health? Il y at -il une place pour les soins spirituels dans les soins de santé?
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
Chaplain leadership may have played a pivotal role in shaping chaplains’ roles in health care ami... more Chaplain leadership may have played a pivotal role in shaping chaplains’ roles in health care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We convened an international expert panel to identify expert perception on key chaplain leadership factors. Six leadership themes of professional confidence, engaging and trust-building with executives, decision-making, innovation and creativity, building integrative and trusting connections with colleagues, and promoting cultural competencies emerged as central to determining chaplains’ integration, perceived value, and contributions during the pandemic.
Professional development is a crucial aspect for further successful progression of an individual&... more Professional development is a crucial aspect for further successful progression of an individual's skills and effective function in their role. It is also a compulsory part of registration for most professionals in the health care sector. This article reports on the evaluation of a monthly professional development program, specifically for spiritual care practitioners, offered over the period 2017-2019 by Spiritual Health Association (Victoria, Australia) and its partners. Many common themes such as motivation, culture, purpose and areas for improvement have been identified and are further examined. Recommendations such as greater emphasis on the professionalism in the sector, broader inclusions of sessions across culture and ethnicity and the development of cross disciplinary communication skills are made for the future of this program.
Professional chaplains play an important role in addressing the religious and spiritual needs of ... more Professional chaplains play an important role in addressing the religious and spiritual needs of patients in healthcare. This chapter offers an overview of their work worldwide with attention to variations associated with national context. A description is given of, among others, the contemporary context in which chaplains operate and emerging issues for the future; models for spiritual care in healthcare including the distinction between spiritual care generalists and specialists; chaplains’ training, competencies, certification and registration; chaplains’ ethical practice, scope of practice and quality indicators; screening and assessment tools, interventions and outcomes; and finally research into chaplaincy. At the end of the chapter resources are offered for more detailed descriptions of spiritual care in various national contexts.
Objectives: National standards in Australia acknowledge the significance of spiritual care in the... more Objectives: National standards in Australia acknowledge the significance of spiritual care in the provision of holistic care, understanding that peoples’ beliefs and values impact their experience and health outcomes. While spiritual care has been provided in Australian hospitals for many decades little attention has been given to changes in the workforce and the implications for quality of care. This study aimed to further understanding of the key influences and mechanisms for change to ensure safe and high-quality spiritual care provision in Australia by a qualified and credentialed workforce. Methods: This study used a qualitative case study design which included interviews and analysis of archived records. Narrative analysis produced an extensive organisational case study from which a timeline of key changes significant to the spiritual care workforce was constructed to inform this paper. Results: There have been movements towards a professional spiritual care workforce, but pr...
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
This paper presents and discusses data from three of the qualitative questions in the internation... more This paper presents and discusses data from three of the qualitative questions in the international COVID-19 survey: What was the most important aspect of spiritual care that was lost during the pandemic? What was new to you during this pandemic? What are the new ways of delivering spiritual care you have experienced? Of these new experiences, what do you think was the most effective?
The Enhancing Quality and Safety: Spiritual Care in Health National Consensus Conference brought ... more The Enhancing Quality and Safety: Spiritual Care in Health National Consensus Conference brought together key stakeholders from across Australia to agree a national framework to ensure quality and safety in spiritual care services through a nationally consistent approach to the provision of spiritual care in Australian hospitals. A working group planned the conference that was held over two days. Invitations were distributed to a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a diversity of voices contributed to the outcomes. The conference proceedings included presentations, small group work and facilitated discussion to enable progress on the conference objective. A conference report of the key outcomes was produced and widely distributed. The national consensus conference outcomes described five principles for the design and delivery of spiritual care services for the Australian context. Ten policy statements described key deliverables that could be used to benchmark and measure a national...
Research increasingly demonstrates the contribution of spiritual care to patient experience, well... more Research increasingly demonstrates the contribution of spiritual care to patient experience, wellbeing and health outcomes. Responsiveness to spiritual needs is recognised as a legitimate component of quality health care. Yet there is no consistent approach to the models and governance of spiritual care across hospitals in Australia. This is consistent with the situation in other developed countries where there is increased attention to identifying best practice models for spiritual care in health. This study explores the views of stakeholders in Australian hospitals to the role of spiritual care in hospitals. A self-completion questionnaire comprising open and closed questions was distributed using a snowball sampling process. Analysis of 477 complete questionnaires indicated high levels of agreement with ten policy statements and six policy objectives. Perceived barriers to spiritual care related to: terminology and roles, education and training, resources, and models of care. Responses identified the issues to inform a national policy agenda including attention to governance and policy structures and clear delineation of roles and scope of practice with aligned education and training models. The inclusion of spiritual care as a significant pathway for the provision of patient-centred care is noted. Further exploration of the contribution of spiritual care to wellbeing, health outcomes and patient experience is invited.
Health care in industrialized countries is increasingly focused on outcomes (Department of Health... more Health care in industrialized countries is increasingly focused on outcomes (Department of Health, 2013). The reasons for this focus are complex and contextualized but adopting this new currency is a central driver in each of the health care systems in the countries we represent (Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and the United States). Primary to this focus is the recognition that the cost of health care as currently provided is unsustainable. The funding of interventions and care providers is increasingly evaluated against the data for the efficacy of the intervention; that is, does it serve one or more valued outcomes? Valued outcomes are generally those that reduce costs, improve the quality of care and patient experience often measured by patient satisfaction, and=or enhance health outcomes often measured by cure rates, reduced lengths of stay, or reduced use of health care resources (Berwick, Nolan, & Wittington, 2008). There is increasing evidence that patient experience contributes along with patient safety and clinical effectiveness in influencing outcomes (Doyle, Lennox, & Bell, 2013). Whereas chaplains have generally been exempt from this economic focus, increasingly the value of chaplaincy care is being evaluated on these criteria. A common conceptualization resulting from this shift is ‘‘volume to value’’ (Porter & Teisburg, 2006). Thus, outcome measures that can be determined to contribute value are preferred over the number of patient contacts. The issue is howmuch value a health care individual or an intervention adds to the system. Michael Porter at Harvard Business School has defined value as quality divided by cost (Porter & Teisberg). Concurrently, there has been increased focus on moving the person to the center of care and thereby differentiating between clinical and personal outcomes. Clinical outcomes are what a clinician wants for the patient often through a medical lens as opposed to personal outcomes which are what a person wants=desires for themselves in terms of function= way of being following a health care intervention. Such a person-centered approach focuses on the assets, capacity and resilience of individuals and takes into consideration their natural support systems, including community based resources. It involves working toward co-production of well-being rather than Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20:43–53, 2014 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0885-4726 print=1528-6916 online DOI: 10.1080/08854726.2014.902713
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, 2021
This paper focuses on the impact of COVID19 in Australia. Three areas were investigated: professi... more This paper focuses on the impact of COVID19 in Australia. Three areas were investigated: professionalism, contrasting hospital and aged care services and “business as usual”? Impact was low overall, the timing being pre-second wave impact. Two areas of weakness were highlighted: depleted spiritual care teams due to standing down non-professional staff and uncertainty about the role of Chaplains in the care of other staff. Further study of second wave impact is recommended.
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Papers by Cheryl Holmes