A Competency Model for the Assessment and Delivery of Spiritual Care
Document Type
Journal Article
Faculty
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science
School
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine
RAS ID
8992
Abstract
The delivery of spiritual and religious care has received a high profile in national reports, guidelines and standards since the start of the millennium, yet there is, to date, no recognized definition of spirituality or spiritual care nor a validated assessment tool. This article suggests an alternative to the search for a definition and assessment tool, and seeks to set spiritual care in a practical context by offering a model for spiritual assessment and care based on the individual competence of all healthcare professionals to deliver spiritual and religious care. Through the evaluation of a pilot study to familiarize staff with the Spiritual and Religious Care Competencies for Specialist Palliative Care developed by Marie Curie Cancer Care, the authors conclude that competencies are a viable and crucial first step in ‘earthing’ spiritual care in practice, and evidencing this illusive area of care.
DOI
10.1191/0269216304pm936oa
Comments
Gordon, T., & Mitchell, D. (2004). A competency model for the assessment and delivery of spiritual care. Palliative Medicine, 18(7), 646-651. Available here