The Dynamics of Spiritual Care Among Swedish Hospital Chaplains: Approaching the Future in the Present
Issued Date: 28 Jan 2022
Abstract
This article presents a pilot study on pastors and deacons serving as hospital chaplains who provide spiritual care within a large urban hospital in Sweden. This descriptive study presents a unique contextual insight into Swedish hospital chaplains’ experiences. The purpose of this article, through the analysis of semi-structured interview material, is to describe hospital chaplains’ ability to meet medical staff and patients’ expectations. The results of the analysis are presented under three headings: chaplains in secularized spaces; chaplains filling in gaps; and cultural diversity. This will hopefully promote a conversation about the developing role of Swedish hospital chaplains in times of societal change. More research is encouraged to better detail the topic of the developing role through voices of hospital chaplains from other faith communities.
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DOI: 10.1558/hscc.18737
References
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Bradby, H., Kenten, C., Deedat, S., & Morgan, M. (2013). “Having a different conversation around death”: Diverse hospital chaplains’ views on end-of-life care. Ethnicity & Health, 18(6), 530–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2013.828832
Bryant, J. (2018). The integration of minority faith groups in acute healthcare chaplaincy. PhD thesis, Cardiff University, Cardiff.
Cadge, W. (2012). Paging God: Religion in the halls of medicine. London: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226922133.001.0001
Carey, L. B., & Cohen, J. (2009). Chaplain–physician consultancy: When chaplains and doctors meet in the clinical context. Journal of Religion and Health, 48(3), 353–367.
Carey, L. B., Swinton, J., & Grossoehme, D. (2018). Chaplaincy and spiritual care. In L. B. Carey & B. Mathisen (Eds.), Spiritual care for allied health practice: A person-centred approach (pp. 229–257). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-008-9206-x
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Cobb, M. (2013). The location and identity of chaplains: A contextual model. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 7(2), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v7i2.10
Ganzevoort, R. R. (1998). Reading by the lines: Proposal for a narrative analytical technique in empirical theology. Journal of Empirical Theology, 11(2), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1163/157092598X00112
Gilliat-Ray, S., Mansur, A., & Pattison, S. (2013). Understanding Muslim chaplaincy. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis group.
Grimell, J. (2020). Military chaplaincy in Sweden: A contemporary perspective. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2020.1745490
Kvale, S. (2007). Doing interviews. London: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849208963
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Polkinghorne, D. E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.137
Rydinger, M., & Demarinis, V. (2019). Institutional spiritual care in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Practical Theology, 36(2), 32–45.
Sheikh, A.S., Gatrad, A.R., Sheikh, U., Panesar, S.S., & Shafi, S. (2004). The myth of multi-faith chaplaincy: A national survey of hospital chaplaincy departments in England and Wales. Diversity in Health and Social Care, 1, 93–97. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7466.626
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Swift, C. (2006). The political awakening of contemporary chaplaincy. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 7(1), 57–63.
Swift, C. (2014). Hospital chaplaincy in the twenty-first century: The crisis of spiritual care in the NHS (2nd ed.). Surrey, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
Swinton, J. (2003). A question of identity: What does it mean for chaplains to become healthcare professionals? Health and Social Care Chaplaincy/Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy, 6(2), 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v6i2.2
Verschuren, P., & Doorewaard, H. (2010). Designing a research project (2nd ed.). The Hague: Eleven International Publishing.
Willander, E., Bradby, H., Torres, S., & Jonsson, P. (2019). Conditions for religious pluralism in Swedish hospital chaplaincy: A research note. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 25(3), 99–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2018.1548853
Zock, H. (2008). The split professional identity of the chaplain as a spiritual caregiver in contemporary Dutch health care: Are there implications for the United States? Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 62(1–2), 137–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050080620011
Arborelius, E. (2009). Finns det en klyfta mellan kyrkan och folket?: Intervjuer med församlingsbor och präster i Stockholmsområdet. Uppsala, Sweden: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis.
Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains (2003). Standards for hospice and palliative care chaplains. London: Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains.
ATLAS.ti (2020) ATLAS Scientific Software Development GmbH. https://atlasti.com
Aziz Sheikh, S., Rashid Gatrad, A., Sheikh, U., Singh Panesar, S., & Shafi, S. (2004). The myth of multifaith chaplaincy: A national survey of hospital chaplaincy departments in England and Wales. Diversity in Health & Social Care, 1: 93–97.
Bradby, H., Kenten, C., Deedat, S., & Morgan, M. (2013). “Having a different conversation around death”: Diverse hospital chaplains’ views on end-of-life care. Ethnicity & Health, 18(6), 530–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2013.828832
Bryant, J. (2018). The integration of minority faith groups in acute healthcare chaplaincy. PhD thesis, Cardiff University, Cardiff.
Cadge, W. (2012). Paging God: Religion in the halls of medicine. London: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226922133.001.0001
Carey, L. B., & Cohen, J. (2009). Chaplain–physician consultancy: When chaplains and doctors meet in the clinical context. Journal of Religion and Health, 48(3), 353–367.
Carey, L. B., Swinton, J., & Grossoehme, D. (2018). Chaplaincy and spiritual care. In L. B. Carey & B. Mathisen (Eds.), Spiritual care for allied health practice: A person-centred approach (pp. 229–257). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-008-9206-x
Church of Sweden (2020). Svenska kyrkan i siffror. Retrieved 28 October 2020 from https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/statistik
Clandinin, D. J. (2013). Engaging in narrative inquiry. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, Inc.
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, M. F. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.
Cobb, M. (2013). The location and identity of chaplains: A contextual model. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 7(2), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v7i2.10
Ganzevoort, R. R. (1998). Reading by the lines: Proposal for a narrative analytical technique in empirical theology. Journal of Empirical Theology, 11(2), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1163/157092598X00112
Gilliat-Ray, S., Mansur, A., & Pattison, S. (2013). Understanding Muslim chaplaincy. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis group.
Grimell, J. (2020). Military chaplaincy in Sweden: A contemporary perspective. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2020.1745490
Kvale, S. (2007). Doing interviews. London: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849208963
Merriam, S. B. (Ed.). (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Polkinghorne, D. E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.137
Rydinger, M., & Demarinis, V. (2019). Institutional spiritual care in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Practical Theology, 36(2), 32–45.
Sheikh, A.S., Gatrad, A.R., Sheikh, U., Panesar, S.S., & Shafi, S. (2004). The myth of multi-faith chaplaincy: A national survey of hospital chaplaincy departments in England and Wales. Diversity in Health and Social Care, 1, 93–97. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7466.626
Sjukhuskyrkan (2020). Samarbetsrådet för andlig vård inom hälso- och sjukvården. Retrieved October 2020 from https://www.sjukhuskyrkan.se/om-sjukhuskyrkan/samarbetsradet
Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities (2020a). Statistik. Retrieved 24 September 2020 from https://www.myndighetensst.se/andlig-vard/statistik.html
Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities (2020b). Chaplaincy. Retrieved 23 September 2020 from https://www.myndighetensst.se/en/myndigheten-for-stod-till-tros-samfund/chaplaincy.html
Swift, C. (2006). The political awakening of contemporary chaplaincy. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 7(1), 57–63.
Swift, C. (2014). Hospital chaplaincy in the twenty-first century: The crisis of spiritual care in the NHS (2nd ed.). Surrey, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
Swinton, J. (2003). A question of identity: What does it mean for chaplains to become healthcare professionals? Health and Social Care Chaplaincy/Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy, 6(2), 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v6i2.2
Verschuren, P., & Doorewaard, H. (2010). Designing a research project (2nd ed.). The Hague: Eleven International Publishing.
Willander, E., Bradby, H., Torres, S., & Jonsson, P. (2019). Conditions for religious pluralism in Swedish hospital chaplaincy: A research note. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 25(3), 99–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2018.1548853
Zock, H. (2008). The split professional identity of the chaplain as a spiritual caregiver in contemporary Dutch health care: Are there implications for the United States? Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 62(1–2), 137–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050080620011
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