Chaplaincy Training for Health Care

Hospitals, hospices and nursing homes require some type of health care setting training prior to allowing its chaplains or pastors to provide spiritual care to the patients and families. Training can be in the form of in-house classes or through formal clinical pastoral education courses.

Faith

• Chaplains receive training on how to be tolerant and understanding of differing religious views, beliefs and mindsets. Understanding where the patient's belief sets are can help the chaplain determine the best way to minister to the patient.

Counseling

• Part of clinical pastoral education classes involves learning and providing spiritual counseling on issues such as sin, after-life, death, hope, depression and more. Chaplains receiving this type of training are not allowed to delve into areas of professional psychology.

Chapel

• Chaplains will spend part of his time providing time for those visiting the health care facility's chapel. Chaplains must be trained to provide communion services, marriages, baptisms and religious worship services for those visiting the chapel.

Time Frame

• Private in-house chaplain training can range from a few months to one year while professional clinical pastoral education courses from the Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association require a commitment of 1,600 hours.