Advancing Spiritual Care Through Research

Transforming Chaplaincy – Description of Curriculum

Transforming Chaplaincy – Description of Curriculum

The primary focus of this course is to develop research literacy and application to pastoral practice in the clinical setting. The overall purpose of this course is to 1.) learn about the process of clinical health sciences research and the potential of evidencebased research to inform, guide, and 2.) improve the professional practice of chaplains in our academic medical center which provides tertiary and quaternary care regionally. The course will offer group and individual instruction about the process of research, discovery, assessment and evaluation using a variety of tools, techniques and resources. The learning modules will provide participants with the skills to effectively search for evidence-based research, critically assess the quality of that research, and offer research-informed spiritual care interventions. Twelve learning modules (see syllabus) will be offered over units 2-4 of the CPE residency and will comprise 20 contact hours. Most modules are 1.5 contact hours. The desired outcome is the ability of our Chaplain Residents to apply the research findings to their delivery of spiritual care with patients, families and staff. This course thus aligns with the University’s motto of Meliora, “always better” – a commitment to excellent chaplaincy professional practice in the clinical care setting and to lifelong learning in pursuit of professional competence.