Models of Chaplaincy
In the present day, chaplaincy may be regarded as a new discipline in health care that focuses on people’s spirituality and emotional well-being. At the same time, as healthcare delivery should be evidence-based to be safe and efficient, spiritual care should be scientifically and practically reliable (Cadge et al., 2019, p. 212). In addition, along with health care, chaplaincy should constantly adapt to demographic changes in society to serve people concerning their cultural, religious, and individual needs.
On the one hand, the provision of spiritual care in health care settings is motivated by chaplains’ unction, devotion to the religious principles of humanity, and desire to help and support people in need. On the other hand, to provide quality assistance at the level of other healthcare team members, a scientific approach should also be considered (Emanuel et al., 2015, p. 1). While spiritual care may be regarded as nourishing a person’s soul to cope with pain, illness, loneliness, grief, or loss, it requires a methodical and premeditated plan from chaplains to be efficient (Dube, 2020, p. 4).
In particular, care presupposes understanding a patient’s spiritual, cultural, sociological, physiological, and individual characteristics, which is almost impossible without a scientific approach (Abu-Ras & Laird, 2010, p. 46). That is why various models of chaplaincy are constantly developing. They aim to ensure the delivery of quality spiritual care within the modern, varied, and secular environments of the NHS today, and the LOVE spiritual care model is no exception. It is based on specific stages that allow the spiritual care delivery process to be as safe, reliable, and patient-oriented as possible.
LOVE Spiritual Care Model
In general, the LOVE spiritual care model is inspired by a systematic approach to the provision of spiritual care of Christ. Regarded as “the chaplain par excellence,” He focused on people’s individual peculiarities, extending sympathy to them (Dube, 2020, p. 4). It was the main difference – instead of pursuing His goals and asking people to follow Him, Crist aimed to help them gain their confidence and fulfill their spiritual needs by praising their goodness and strengths.
Linking-Up
In the same way, the modern LOVE spiritual care model of chaplaincy is developed based on the necessity to pay particular attention to people’s diversity, which determines different ways of providing spiritual care. It has four major elements: Linking-Up, Observing, Verifying, and Empowerment (Dube, 2020, p. 5). The first element, Linking-Up, refers to the necessity of a chaplain’s connection with a care seeker, his family, the community, and health care practitioners to provide a better understanding of a patient’s features that will determine the ways of spiritual care delivery. This aspect is explained by Jesus Christ’s approach to spiritual healing, which presupposed building bridges with care seekers based on respect and trust as its initial step (Dube, 2018, p. 22). In addition, building bridges was also regarded as a narrative process as bonds were created through sharing stories and active listening.
In the present day, chaplains use linking-up, in the same way, to establish contact with a patient and ensure a deep insight into his individual needs related to spirituality to plan further steps. Spiritual care should have excellent listening and communication skills, cultural and emotional intelligence, and a clear understanding of the mission and goals. All in all, a chaplain should consider how he represents himself and use verbal and nonverbal communication tools to comfort a patient for a continuous and trust-based partnership.
Observing
The next element of the LOVE spiritual care model is Observing. In general, it refers to paying particular attention to all non-physical symptoms of a patient that indicate the necessity of spiritual care. In addition, Observing relates to evaluating an individual’s attitude to his condition and making a diagnosis if it is available.
This step is based on Christ’s spiritual healing as well – as He realized the existence of a specific bond between a person’s physical and emotional states, He always asked about a care seeker’s health (Dube, 2018, p. 22). In modern clinical settings, observation frequently requires the involvement of the whole multidisciplinary team to detect the necessity of spiritual care provision. In addition, a patient’s attitude to his disease or general state may reflect his cultural or individual peculiarities, which should be considered by a chaplain as well.
Verifying
In turn, the element of Verifying is essential for the agreement between a patient and a chaplain concerning the way of spiritual care delivery. It reduces the necessity of making assumptions and helps avoid incorrect decision-making. Regardless of His excellence in soul healing and empowerment, Jesus considered a seeker’s need and his understanding of an issue that should be solved. In this case, he used to ask the right questions as a verification tool to gain a patient’s attention and ensure his willingness to cooperate for spiritual help.
In the present day, in the stage of verification, chaplains assess the existence and intensity of a patient’s feelings and emotions that were previously observed (Dube, 2018, p. 23). In addition, demonstrating empathy and compassion is essential as “the carer’s feelings towards the patient has some psychodynamic issues that may either positively or negatively impact the healing process” (Dube, 2020, p. 16). Thus, chaplains should remember that their response to a patient’s state concerning all individual and cultural differences may impact a person’s emotional state and the outcomes of the whole treatment.
In addition, the Verifying stage may also include the assessment of past grief that affects a care seeker’s current situation. First of all, previous traumatic events manifested in different ways may lead to more serious health issues. In addition, the existence of negative experiences that are not addressed makes the work of a chaplain inefficient. Finally, the understanding of existing pain and coping skills, if available, allows a chaplain to adapt the way of empowerment according to a patient’s needs to make it more effective.
Empowerment
Finally, the stage of empowerment presupposes the application of particular techniques on the basis of a patient’s individual needs in order to provide spiritual care and restore a person’s wholeness. In particular, a chaplain should address a person’s spirituality and inner coping resources to improve his psycho-socio-spiritual wellness (Dube, 2020, p. 20). In other words, a chaplain may be regarded as a specialist responsible for restoring a patient’s spirituality based on his individual features and needs.
The LOVE spiritual care model may be regarded as a cycle. It includes non-chaplain clinicians’ spiritual screening that identifies an issue that chaplains should address through the observation, verification, and management of spiritual distress (Wirpsa et al., 2019, p. 22). In turn, the results of spiritual care delivery may impact general treatment and improve a patient’s physical health (Wirpsa et al., 2019, p. 22). In this case, spiritual care becomes a part of evidence-based practice and a larger care plan that presupposes the cooperation of care providers for positive outcomes.
Application of the LOVE Spiritual Care Model
Based on an in-depth analysis of the case of a 90-year-old woman, it is possible to state that the LOVE spiritual care model may be efficiently applied to evaluate a chaplain’s actions and determine correct chaplaincy practice within the contemporary diverse and secularised settings of the NHS today. First, the model presupposes the collaboration of chaplains and non-chaplain clinicians when the latter provides spiritual screening to pass an identified issue to the former in the case of its existence.
On this basis, Mack was invited to the hospital and informed about a patient by her nurse who worried about her emotional state. During regular medical rounds, a healthcare provider noticed an older woman upset, worried, and distressed because of how she behaved. In addition, it was also reported that the patient expressed herself in such a way that the staff wondered if spiritual care would be beneficial for her. Moreover, clinicians provide all necessary information about a patient’s physical health and personal peculiarities to make care more efficient. In particular, a woman was admitted to the hospital with health issues due to her age. She was reported to be Christian, and her love for engaging with the Bible and listening to spiritual music was also noticed.
Linking-Up
When Mack received all essential patient data, he realized the model was following its stages. The first one, Linking-Up, refers to establishing contact between a patient and a chaplain based on trust and respect to ensure the effectiveness of spiritual care delivery (Dube, 2020, p. 11). Regardless of his physical and emotional state, with the nurse’s help, Mack entered the room, greeted the patient, and introduced himself and the purpose of his visit. It is worth noting that he uses Christ’s approach, asking a patient permission to visit her. In this way, the chaplain demonstrated respect for the patient’s personal space, improving her trust, which is essential for spiritual care delivery.
Observing
The next step of the LOVE spiritual care model is the process of Observing. When the chaplain entered the room, he noticed that the patient seemed frightened and fearful because she did not know who he was and the purpose of his visit. At the same time, the patient looked upset and tired, avoiding direct eye contact – these signs could indicate low spirits and unsatisfied spiritual needs. In addition, a couple of family photographs on the table in the room demonstrated the patient’s attachment to her relatives and the crucial role of a bond with them. However, darkness in the room could signify loneliness and the desire to hide from the outside world.
Verifying
During the next stage, Mack should verify the assumptions he made during the observation process concerning the patient’s spiritual needs. He did this by asking questions and actively listening when the patient told her stories (Dube, 2020, p. 15). In particular, she stated that although she was 90 years old but looked younger, she had had multiple challenges in her life related to her health and relationships with children. She had problems with her eyes due to negative experiences related to surgery. In addition, she would like to stay with her daughter and communicate with her other children more. It is obvious that the patient’s living conditions, along with her health issues, cause moral distress that should be addressed through spiritual care.
Empowerement
When the woman’s emotional state was finally assessed, Mack could develop the most appropriate approaches to spiritual care delivery to the patient. First, the chaplain detected an individual’s low spirit due to her focus on challenges rather than achievements. In this case, he used the simple spiritual elements of love, faith, and hope to help the patient engage with her inner spiritual resources and remind her of her religious identity as a Baptist church member. In this case, the woman may return to the rituals, including reading the Bible and listening to religious songs, as a potential source of assurance and comfort and strengthen her bonds with the community of believers.
The second aspect that should determine the approach to the woman’s spiritual care delivery is a lack of faith and potential anger and bitterness directed toward God for dissatisfaction with how her life has passed. In this case, it is essential to remind her that God has plans for people’s lives, He takes care of them, and He leads believers, directing the steps of those He loves. Thus, it is necessary to be thankful as the Lord always supports those who trust Him. The patient’s faith should be restored through conversations and prayers – at the same time, considering the patient’s age, Mack should assist her in praying and adapt the process if possible as the woman cannot concentrate and be aware and oriented as a young person.
Finally, the chaplain should consider the patient’s loneliness due to the absence of her relatives’ visits and a lack of conversations with other people. In this case, simple communication with a person who understands and respects her is what she needs most of all in this period of her lifetime. Thus, Mack should try to schedule visits and make them regular – this practice will substantially improve the patient’s mood and general emotional and physical well-being.
Critical Reflection
Applying the LOVE model to the case of a senior woman demonstrates the necessity of a scientific approach to chaplaincy and the provision of spiritual care to make it more efficient and patient-oriented. That is why I plan to apply the model to my practice as a healthcare chaplain due to its comprehensiveness, effectiveness, and reliability. Similar to health care providers, using this model, chaplains collect information related to a patient, observe symptoms, verify them, and suggest the most suitable treatment based on an individual’s features. The model considers every person’s spiritual needs, which should be addressed individually, regardless of a carer’s perceptions of how ideal help should look. At the same time, applying the LOVE spiritual care model not only deepens the role of the chaplain but widens the role of the nurse and other clinicians as it presupposes their collaboration for improving a patient’s physical and mental health outcomes.
References
Abu-Ras, W., & Laird, L. (2011). How Muslim and non-Muslim chaplains serve Muslim patients? Does the interfaith chaplaincy model have room for Muslims’ experiences?. Journal of Religion and Health, 50, 46-61. Web.
Cadge, W., Fitchett, G., Haythorn, T., Palmer, P. K., Rambo, S., Clevenger, C., & Stroud, I. E. (2019). Training healthcare chaplains: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 73(4), 211-221. Web.
Dube, S. (2018). Jesus and Eli: Antithetical portraits of spiritual care models. Ministry: International Journal for Pastors, 90(7), 22–25.
Dube, S. (2020). The LOVE spiritual care model: A chaplain’s tool in clinical practice. Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry, 21, 3-29. Web.
Emanuel, L., Handzo, G., Grant, G., Massey, K., Zollfrank, A., Wilke, D., Powell, R., Smith, W., & Pargament, K. (2015). Workings of the human spirit in palliative care situations: A consensus model from the Chaplaincy Research Consortium. BMC Palliative Care, 14, 1-13. Web.
Wirpsa, M. J., Johnson, R. E., Bieler, J., Boyken, L., Pugliese, K., Rosencrans, E., & Murphy, P. (2019). Interprofessional models for shared decision making: The role of the health care chaplain. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 25(1), 20-44. Web.