Health Care Team (HCT)

A health care Chaplain is a religious professional endorsed or in good standing in his or her faith tradition, who works in a health care setting.

The health care Chaplain provides spiritual care to persons in physical, mental, spiritual, or social need in diverse health care settings. They may also offer support to health care professionals who care for patients.

The Common Standards for Professional Chaplaincy outline the qualifications of a professional Chaplain. Qualifications include: (1) endorsement or in good standing in accordance with the requirements of his or her faith tradition; (2) an undergraduate degree from a college, university, or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and a graduate-level theological degree from an accredited college, university, or theological school; (3) a minimum of four units of Clinical Pastoral Education accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation, or the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education.

The size of the health care organization and the Chaplain’s position usually determine to whom the Chaplain reports. If the organization is large enough to support a department of spiritual care, then the staff Chaplain reports to a Chaplain who is the department director. In a smaller organization with only one or two Chaplains, the Chaplain may report directly to the organization’s vice president or president. A department of Chaplains is likely to report to the vice president of nursing, clinical services, or ancillary services.

A typical day for a Chaplain encompasses a variety of activities. The Chaplain visits patients. If the Chaplain is one of several Chaplains in a department, he or she is likely to have a clinical specialization and function as a member of the corresponding team. Such specialties can include oncology, palliative care, surgery, neurology, cardiovascular care, coronary care, women’s services, pediatrics, neonatology, organ transplant service, gene and cell transplantation, and renal disease. The Chaplain may make rounds, attend team meetings, consult on cases, and respond to all referrals and crises in the respective clinical units. The Chaplain may serve on hospital committees, such as the ethics committee, the Institutional Review Board, or the Joint Commission readiness committee. The Chaplain plans and conducts worship services in the facility chapel; services may include special religious holidays, memorial services, and other special occasions, as well as weekly worship. The Chaplain may also contact community clergy at the request of the patient.

A professional Chaplain is certified by one of the certifying bodies for Chaplains. Currently, these professional associations include the Association of Professional Chaplains, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains.

Certified Chaplains treat all persons with dignity and respect, serving them without discrimination. Chaplains affirm the religious and spiritual freedom of all persons and refrain from imposing doctrinal positions or spiritual practices on persons whom they encounter in their professional role as Chaplain.

Viewing persons as spiritual, a Chaplain can assist the patient in addressing emotional and relational concerns, as well as overtly religious ones. Often, the Chaplain ministers to persons in emotional and/or spiritual distress or despair, and these issues may relate to or impact medical treatment or treatment decisions. The Chaplain has the ability to triage and manage crises, provide spiritual care to persons experiencing loss and grief or dealing with end of life or chronic illness, and formulate and utilize spiritual assessments to contribute to plans of care.

Physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals often refer patients or family members to the Chaplain. A Chaplain may follow up on a patient after making routine rounds. Patients or their significant others may request a visit from a Chaplain.