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Healthcare chaplains’ perspectives on working with culturally diverse patients and families

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

So Hyeon Bang Open the ORCID record for So Hyeon Bang [Opens in a new window] ,
Hyunjin Noh Open the ORCID record for Hyunjin Noh [Opens in a new window] ,
George Handzo ,
Paul Galchutt  and
Jung Kwak
So Hyeon Bang*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Hyunjin Noh
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
George Handzo
Affiliation:
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, New York, NY, USA
Paul Galchutt
Affiliation:
Transforming Chaplaincy, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA
Jung Kwak
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
*
Corresponding author: So Hyeon Bang; Email: shbang@utexas.edu
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Abstract

Objectives

Considering the ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity in the U.S., we aim to explore the experiences of healthcare chaplains as they provide culturally sensitive care to diverse patients and their families.

Methods

This is a qualitative study. Individual interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare chaplains recruited from 3 U.S. chaplaincy organizations.

Results

Thematic analysis with constant comparison yielded 6 themes in the chaplains’ experiences: (1) the diverse roles of chaplains; (2) their high levels of comfort in working with diverse populations, attributed to cultural sensitivity and humility training; (3) cues for trust-building; (4) common topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion discussed; (5) gaps in chaplaincy training; and (6) the importance of collaboration and negotiation with healthcare professionals to accommodate cultural needs.

Significance of results

This research highlights the valuable role of chaplains in providing culturally sensitive care and suggests areas for improving chaplaincy training and education to better serve diverse patient populations.

Keywords

Healthcare chaplainchaplaindiverse patients and familiesculturally sensitive carechaplaincy training
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 22 , Issue 6 , December 2024 , pp. 1949 - 1956
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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