Spiritual Care in a Hospital Setting

This book reports on a theoretical and empirical study of spiritual care as a profession in health care, particularly from the angle of quality care. Theoretically the central issues in spiritual care are analysed: quality care, medicalisation and contingency as its limit, the function of worldviews in health care, personal identity, legitimacy and position in health care, goals and tasks of the profession. Specific attention is spent to the determinants of the goals in the interaction with patients. Empirically the attitudes of Dutch spiritual caregivers towards these issues are investigated.The book provides insight into the professional discipline 'spiritual care' and discusses some challenges for the future: the intrinsic meaning of the plurality of worldviews within spiritual care, the institutional aspects of this spiritual care and the educational implications of spiritual care as a professional discipline. The book is particular useful for spiritual caregivers in their reflection on their practice and for education of future spiritual caregivers.