Paul Derrickson

Curriculum for a Spiritual Pathway Project: Integrating Research Methodology into Pastoral Care Training

In the immediate future Chaplains will need to practice evidence based spiritual care. To do this, they will need to be well versed in the research literature on spirituality and health, be able to critique it and incorporate it into their spiritual care, document their intervention, and measure its impact. To help train Chaplains for this reality, the Penn State Hershey Medical Centers Clinical Pastoral Education Residency program started the Spiritual Pathway Project in 2002. This paper describes the Spiritual Pathway Project, its evolution and contribution to the education of the next generation of Chaplains.

Teaching research in clinical pastoral education: a survey of model practices.

The Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) developed Standards of Practice for Acute and Long-term settings. Standard 12 promotes research-literate chaplains as important for the profession. Since many chaplains receive training in clinical pastoral education (CPE) residency programs, the aim of this study was to identify model practices for the teaching of research in such programs. Using a purposeful sample, this study identified 11 programs that offered “consistent and substantive” education in research. Common features included the existence of a research champion, a culture supportive of research, and the availability of institutional resources. The study identified models and methodologies that CPE programs can adopt.

Education for Professional Chaplains: Should Certification Competencies Shape Curriculum?

The growing importance of professional chaplains in patient-centered care has raised questions about education for professional chaplaincy. One recommendation is that the curricula of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) residency programs make use of the chaplaincy certification competencies. To determine the adoption of this recommendation, we surveyed CPE supervisors from 26 recently re-accredited, stipended CPE residency programs. We found the curricula of 38% of these programs had substantive engagement with the certification competencies, 38% only introduced students to the competences, and 23% of the programs made no mention of them. The majority of the supervisors (59%) felt engagement with the competencies should be required while 15% were opposed to such a requirement. Greater engagement with chaplaincy certification competencies is one of several approaches to improvements in chaplaincy education that should be considered to ensure that chaplains have the training needed to function effectively in a complex and changing healthcare environment.

Thoughts from a Board Certified Chaplain/CPE Supervisor

(2009). Thoughts from a Board Certified Chaplain/CPE Supervisor. Chaplaincy Today: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 28-30.

Identifying Spiritual Needs in Patients Presenting with Chest Pain When Catheterization Reveals No Clinical Etiologies

10 This research emerged as follow-up to a clinical pastoral education (CPE) residency spiritual pathway project. It is designed to explore how patients experience a particular disease and to propose spiritual interventions that chaplains may make to respond to patients’ spiritual concerns. Anecdotal evidence showed high levels of patient dissatisfaction with catheterization lab staff when patients were found to have no clinical etiologies indicating myocardial infarction. Rather than being pleased to learn they had no cardiac disease, many of these patients not only expressed dissatisfaction, they also returned to the hospital multiple times for additional testing in an effort to define the nature of their symptoms. This research project identifies potential spiritual, social and psychological stressors that may have contributed to the patients’ experienced symptoms. It is the hypothesis of this project that such patients may be suffering from spiritual, psychosocial and/or nonmedical stressors or may be the bearers of stress within stressed family systems.

Transforming Life's Web into a Labyrinth: Spiritual Care for ALS Patients and Their Families

8 AS THE PATIENT POPULATION SHIFTS from people with acute illness to those with chronic disease, the strictly medical model is proving inadequate. In the words of John L. McKnight: “For all its utility, the medical model always bears a hidden negative assumption that what is important about a person is his or her injury, disease, deficiency, problem, need, empty half. The able, gifted, skilled, capable, and full part of a person is not the focus of the medical model.” While the focus remains on symptom control, greater emphasis is being given to existential factors contributing to a person’s overall health status. There is a subtle shift from assessing only physical functioning toward measuring a person’s quality of life as well.

Shifting Expectations for Chaplains

When I first became involved in research it was to gain credibility for chaplains in my institution. I had illusions that it might bring more power, status and prestige. It did not; it just earned us a place at the table. What it did bring was a greater sense of credibility with other medical professionals and their appreciation of our unique contribution to health care. It was also a reminder to keep myself theologically grounded as the best way to stay clinically relevant.

Writing for Research: A Step-by-step Guide to Content, Organization and Presentation

Chaplains write for varied contexts; however, few are experienced in writing for peer-reviewed research journals. This article outlines the sections contained in a standard research publication. It walks the novice research chaplain through each section addressing content and organization as well as common pitfalls to avoid. These sections are identified as introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion and conclusion. The article also offers insight into the use of references, development of an abstract and the review process for manuscript submissions.

Care Teams and ALS Patients: Bridging a Gap

22 When people are overwhelmed by illness, we must give them physical relief, but it is equally important to encourage the spirit through a constant show of love and compassion. It is shameful how often we fail to see that what people desperately require is human affection. Deprived of human warmth and a sense of value, other forms of treatment prove less effective. Real care of the sick does not begin with costly procedures, but with the simple gifts of affection, love, and concern. His Holiness, The Dalai Lama Time for Listening and Caring

Exploring New Dimensions of an Old Role for Chaplaincy: Community Liaison

Chaplaincy has the opportunity to help local religious communities develop their healing ministries. This article describes one such program. The Prepared Family Caregiver Program provides resources and study guides for chaplains to use in training clergy and other community leaders in how to help family members be better caregivers to persons with cancer. It also provides the resources for the local clergy to use with family members in the training. The material, however, is easily adapted for other chronic diseases. The program provides a way for chaplaincy departments to reach out to their communities and for local religious communities to train volunteers. Materials and training are now available over the Internet.