New survey reveals trends in Catholic healthcare chaplaincy
From Health Progress:
The Catholic Health Association has partnered with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) to study trends in health care chaplaincy for the last 20 years. In 1998 and 2008, the two associations conducted surveys of their chaplain members who ministered in health care settings. The analyses were performed in-house and the results were shared with their respective members. Desiring a more scientific approach to study trends in health care chaplaincy and spiritual care departments, CHA and NACC commissioned the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) to survey spiritual care ministry workers in Catholic health care institutions in the fall of 2018.
Here are highlights of the survey of all spiritual care ministry workers and a smaller survey of those who oversee or manage the spiritual care department of their organization. Surveys were sent to 1,600 spiritual care ministry workers with 380 of them serving as directors of spiritual care or mission leaders.1The response rate was 32% for spiritual care workers overall and 50% for those who oversee spiritual care departments. These findings draw from respondents’ answers, previous CHA/NACC surveys and an analysis performed by the three organizations involved in conducting the survey.
The report is best read in its entirety, but the conclusion summarizes some of the findings:
Spiritual care ministry is a key element of Catholic health care. The current population of spiritual care ministry workers is nearing retirement age, which will place additional stress on spiritual care departments to recruit and train their replacements in coming years.
The increasing complexity and regulatory environment of health care intensifies the administrative tasks and limits direct patient and staff care. This changing health care environment may limit the number of spiritual care ministers employed, while also expanding the need for spiritual care services to be provided. This highlights the necessity for health care leadership to be knowledgeable of and responsive to the critical role of spiritual care ministry in Catholic health care.
Read the full report at the website of Health Progress and the Catholic Health Association.