Re-evaluating Chaplaincy

To Be, or Not…

Authors

  • Steve Nolan Princess Alice Hospice

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v1i1.49

Keywords:

Francis Report, healthcare culture, market, Outcome Oriented Chaplaincy (OOC), presence, person-centred/person-focused

Abstract

Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving culture within which chaplaincy has continually adapted to maintain professional relevance and respect. Over time, forms of chaplaincy have emerged as responses to changes in culture: multi-faith chaplaincy and the subtle shift in focus from religious care to spiritual care being two examples. However, adaptation impacts on the character of chaplaincy and questions its core values. Outcome Oriented Chaplaincy (OOC) is a response to the “paradigm shift” in healthcare chaplaincy that aims to integrate assessment, intervention, outcome evaluation and care planning into the chaplain’s role. OOC seems perfectly adapted to the culture of contemporary market-driven healthcare; however, the values underwriting this culture are being questioned, and their impact on professional values challenged. This paper accepts OOC has much to offer chaplaincy, but calls for a critical engagement with the model, arguing that the demand to remain relevant to contemporary healthcare culture should not be at the expense of person-centred, person-focused values of compassion, dignity and respect embodied within the presence model of spiritual care.

Author Biography

  • Steve Nolan, Princess Alice Hospice

    Steve Nolan is Chaplain at Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey, UK.

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Published

2013-09-25

How to Cite

Nolan, S. (2013). Re-evaluating Chaplaincy: To Be, or Not…. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 1(1), 49-60. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v1i1.49

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