The Rev. George F. Handzo and  Dr. Kevin J. Flannelly on research by chaplains for chaplains

An Opportunity to Participate in Chaplaincy Research

A pioneer in pastoral research, the Rev. Dr. Larry VandeCreek, once expressed concern that the rising interest in research on spirituality among health professionals would eclipse the influence of chaplains in their own area of expertise, if they did not conduct more research. [1] It is certainly evident that the number of articles on religion and spirituality that have been published in healthcare journals has surged in recent years. [2] It is also evident that the number of studies about chaplains has not kept pace [2], and it is unlikely to do so unless chaplains do more studies themselves.

But we do not anticipate the dire consequences that Rev. VandeCreek envisioned. A recent review of research in the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling and other journals of particular interest to chaplains found that the quantity and quality of research in the field increased substantially during the last decade. [3] Over the past several years we have worked with dozens of our staff and resident chaplains to help them develop and conduct studies on topics of interest to them, including studies on spirituality and depression, and religious beliefs and fear of death. [4] The professional satisfaction obtained from engaging in their first research project has inspired a number of our colleagues to pursue other research.

While some chaplains are naturally reluctant to delve into the research realm, the eminent pastoral researcher, George Fitchett, and his colleagues found that even a one-day workshop can change some chaplains’ attitudes from anxiety and reluctance to confidence and enthusiasm. [5] It is far less easy to turn around the attitudes of those who feel that science has no place in the practice of ministry. But science and ministry are different enterprises, and neither of them is an end in itself. [6]

Yet science can work in the service of ministry, especially in the current era of healthcare in which numbers drive administrative decision making. [7] With this in mind, we and our colleagues at The HealthCare Chaplaincy have conducted a series of studies on administrators’ perceptions of chaplains’ roles, and we are designing studies to help us better understand the perspectives of patients and their families. As part of this process, The Chaplaincy’s Research Department developed a scale of patients’ spiritual needs. The scale currently consists of 29 items that cover seven major spiritual constructs derived from an extension review of the healthcare literature. [8]

To help us in this important and challenging work, we are asking you to give us the benefit of your professional experience by filling out the questionnaires at the web sites listed below. The questionnaire at the first web site asks about the spiritual needs of your patients/clients. The nearly identical questionnaire at the second web site offers you the opportunity explore your own spiritual needs. Each survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Your participation is completely anonymous.

A summary of the results of each survey will be posted at The Chaplaincy’s web site in late March. We deeply appreciate your assistance in this important work. We believe this research will advance the professional field of chaplaincy, aid in the training of student chaplains, and be extremely useful for clinical practice.

Patient’s Spiritual Needs Click Here

Self-evaluation of Spiritual Needs Click Here

[1] VandeCreek, L. (1988). A Research Primer for Pastoral Care. Decatur, GA: Journal of Pastoral Care Publications, Inc.
[2] Weaver, A.J., Flannelly, K.J., & Oppenheimer J.E. (2003). "Religion, spirituality, and chaplains in the biomedical literature: 1965-2000." International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 33(2) 155-161.
[3] Flannelly, K. J., Liu, C., Oppenheimer, J.E., Weaver A.J., & Larson, D.B. (2003). "An evaluation of the quantity and quality of empirical research in three pastoral care and counseling journals, 1990-1999: Has anything changed?" The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 57(2), 167-178.
[4] Flannelly, K.J., Weaver, A.J., Smith, W.J., & Handzo, G.F. (2003). "Psychologists and health care chaplains doing research together." Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22(4), 327-332.
[5] Fitchett, G., Bradshaw, A.K., & Gibbons, G.D. (2003). "Chaplains and research: 'I feel a little excited.'” Ministry, Society, and Theology, 17 (1, 2), 90-104.
[6] Handzo, G.F. (2002). "Science and ministry: Confusion and reality." Journal of HealthCare Chaplaincy, 12(1, 2), 73-79.
[7] Handzo, G.F. (2004). "Bridging diversity: President’s address to the 2004 APC conference." Chaplaincy Today, 20(2), 31-35.
[8] Galek, K., Flannelly, K.J., Vane, A., & Galek, R.M. (2005). "Assessing patients’ spiritual needs: A comprehensive instrument." Holistic Nursing Practice, 19(2), 62-69.

The Rev. George F. Handzo is The HealthCare Chaplaincy’s director of clinical services and institutional relations. He has spent nearly three decades in the field of multifaith clinical pastoral care. A certified healthcare chaplain and Lutheran Pastor, the Rev. Handzo served as president of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) from 2002-2004. He also served until recently as chair of the Council on Collaboration, which is comprised of the six major pastoral care organizations in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Kevin J. Flannelly is the Associate Director of Research at The HealthCare Chaplaincy in New York City, where he has worked since 2001.  He has published over 100 studies in various area of psychology and has been actively involved in research on religion and spirituality since 1996.  He recently published a review and analysis of the methodological quality of research on religion and health in the Southern Medical Journal.

Do you have thoughts about education & research you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail to info@PlainViews.org.