Addressing the spiritual domain in a plural society: what is the best mode of integrating spiritual care into healthcare?

Figures & data

Table 1. Example of data-analysis.

Author(s) (year)	Title	Objective	Type of caregiver	Authors’ country	Journal or (chapter in) book	Problem?	Solution to problem?	Q*
Isgandarova and O’Connor (2012)	A redefinition and model of Canadian Islamic spiritual care	To provide and present a new definition and model of Canadian Islamic spiritual care	Chaplain	Canada	Journal of Pastoral Care & Counselling	“The postmodern changes in society, which affect the basic concept of what constitutes treatment and outcome, put the Muslim spiritual caregivers in a challenging position to reformulate theory, practice and research in spiritual care”. (p. 1)	A redefinition and model of Canadian Islamic spiritual care, which “could include a multi-faith approach”	3
Jensen (2003)	Toward pastoral counselling integration: one Bowen oriented approach	To explore the use of a Bowen oriented approach	Healthcare provider / psychologist / therapist / chaplain	USA	Journal of Pastoral Care & Counselling	One of the issues that arise with the “multiplicity of faith positions” is how a therapist can be authentic without being authoriation.	Consider “I positions” as a framework, in which ideas are presented without imposing them.	1
Keeling, Dolbin-Macnab, Ford, and Perkins, (2010)	Partners in the spiritual dance: Learning clients’ steps while minding all our toes	To highlight the complex interplay of therapists’ and clients’ spirituality in therapy	Therapist	USA	Journal of Marital and Family Therapy	The interplay of therapists’ and clients’ spirituality in therapy is complex (and few authors have addressed this issue thus far)	Knowledge about particular spiritual and religious orientations; spiritual self- awareness (as a competency); and respectfully exploring S/R in therapy	1/2
Kemper and Barnes (2003)	Considering culture, complementary medicine, and spirituality in pediatrics	To provide cases for reflection and discussion, illustrating the complexities of providing sensitive and appropriate care in a culturally and spiritually diverse healthcare system	Healthcare provider / physician	USA	Clinical Pediatrics	Cultural and spiritual diversity in clinical encounters may “cloud other concerns, contribute to inadequate or misleading communication, and affect lifestyle and therapeutic choice” (p. 208). How to provide sensitive, compassionate, and comprehensive care?	Reflection on the ways “cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and complementary medicine affect physicians, colleagues and patients” (p. 208).	2
Kevern (2012)	Who can give “spiritual care”? The management of spiritually sensitive interaction	To consider the purpose of contemporary “spiritual care” in order to help managers make informed decisions about its appropriate delivery in a clinical context	Nurse	UK	Journal of Nursing Management	Nurses are reluctant to engage with the spiritual needs of patients, and the boundaries between personal and professional role are difficult to discern and maintain (p. 981) (especially with the “supernova” of beliefs).	A model for nurse-patient interaction (based on Wulff) for spiritual care provision is provided, in which both the patients’ and nurses’ implicit and explicit religious commitments need to be considered.	1

Note: Q = Quadrant; 1 = Generalist-particularist; 2 = Generalist-universalist; 3 = Specialist-particularist; 4 = Specialist-universalist.

Figure 1. Schematic overview of quadrants in response to the question: Who should provide spiritual care? (vertical axis) and: What is the role of caregivers’ spirituality when providing spiritual care? (horizontal axis).

Figure 2. Overview of weight given to caregivers’ professional, personal, and confessional roles for each of the quadrants.

*Isgandarova, N., & O’Connor, T. S. (2012). A redefinition and model of Canadian Islamic spiritual care. The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 66(2), 1–8. doi: 10.1177/154230501206600207

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*Jensen, C. A. (2003). Toward pastoral counseling integration: One Bowen oriented approach. The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 57(2), 117–129. doi: 10.1177/154230500305700203

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*Keeling, M. L., Dolbin-MacNab, M. L., Ford, J., & Perkins, S. N. (2010). Partners in the spiritual dance: Learning clients’ steps while minding all our toes. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 36(2), 229–243. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00161.x

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*Kemper, K. J., & Barnes, L. (2003). Considering culture, complementary medicine, and spirituality in pediatrics. Clinical pediatrics, 42(3), 205–208. doi: 10.1177/000992280304200303

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*Kevern, P. (2012). Who can give ‘spiritual care’? The management of spiritually sensitive interactions between nurses and patients. Journal of Nursing Management, 20(8), 981–989. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01428.x

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