Aesthetics

Psychology

Programming language

Pastoral care

Philosophy

Health care

Secularization

Scope (computer science)

Faith

Professionalization

Theology

Identity (music)

Political science

Public relations

Computer science

Nursing

Pathology

Sociology

Social science

Alternative medicine

Spiritual care

Spirituality

Medicine

Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy

The spiritual care profession in the Netherlands is going through significant changes, including an increasing demand for secular and multi-faith spiritual care, a move towards professionalization and formulating 'best practices', as well as a broadening of the scope of chaplains' activities.In October 2019, 405 Dutch healthcare chaplains completed an online mixed methods survey with open and closed-ended questions about their work situation and professional identity. Quantitative analyses showed that most respondents evaluated current developments in chaplaincy in a positive way. Qualitative findings showed trends towards interconfessional and secular spiritual care, outpatient spiritual care and the emergence of evidence-based chaplaincy. Participants who responded most negatively to those developments criticized evidence-based approaches for measuring the effects of chaplaincy, unstable financing structures, and the encroachment of other professions upon the domain of spiritual care.

The future of chaplaincy in a secularized society: a mixed-methods survey from the Netherlands