This study analyzes trends in the health care literature based on electronic searches of MEDLINE between the years 1980 and 2006. The search terms used were "spiritual care," "pastoral care," and "chaplain.*" The results document an expected surge in the rate of English-language journal articles about spiritual care beginning in the mid 1990s. Although the rate of articles about pastoral care w...

Ontologies as shared understanding of a domain of interest can support reflective processes in spiritual care. Such an ontology has been extracted from an empirical analysis of historic patient records, which has identified a key structure. This ontology is supposed to support the reflective learning process of the palliative care team, which is interdisciplinary. A first prototype for a semant...

Spirituality is an essential component of the care of patients with serious illness and those that are dying. Dame Cicely Saunders developed the hospice movement based on the biopsychosocialspiritual model of care, in which all four dimensions are important in the care of patients. Of all the models of care, hospice and palliative care recognize the importance of spiritual issues in the care of...

AIM To provide a brief historical background of spirituality in nursing and describe spiritual care from the perspective of the Careful Nursing philosophy and professional practice model. BACKGROUND The previously overshadowed role of spirituality in modern nursing has re-emerged and been widely debated. Less attention has been given to how spiritual care is implemented in practice. EVALUAT...

Palliative care has always included spiritual care, but the provision and inclusion of within across palliative services internationally is sub-optimal. In this summary overview, we address understandings meanings spirituality related terms, both generally in context healthcare, outline importance well-being at end life. We summarise what involves, its benefits for patients their families, cons...