There has been a groundswell of interest in and recognition of the importance the spiritual part of a person's life has to play in coping with/recovery from illness as well as in the attainment and maintenance of health, wellbeing and quality of life. Addressing the spiritual part of life is now a key part of the health care professional's job but this raises the question of how this part of life can be assessed and catered for and how health care professionals might be equipped for this task. Wilf McSherry and Linda Ross's new edited text tackles this very issue with contributors from different disciplines (including nursing, medicine, theology and chaplaincy) and countries (UK, USA, Malta) offering their own perspectives on this important part of care. Each chapter, therefore, has its own unique style but is concerned with one outcome, to see spiritual assessment and care as an integral part of holistic care whatever the setting. Contents include: Introduction - Linda Ross & Wilfred McSherry Why the increasing interest in spirituality within healthcare? - Linda Ross The meanings of spirituality: a multi-perspectival approach to 'the spiritual' - John Swinton Recognising spiritual needs - Aru Narayanasamy Spiritual Assessment: definition, categorisation and features - Wilfred McSherry The spiritual history: an essential element of patient centred care - Christina Puchalski Indicator based and value clarification tools - Donia Baldacchino Assessing and improving the quality of spiritual care - Mark Cobb Dilemmas of spiritual assessment - Chris Johnson Considerations for the future of Spiritual Assessment - Linda Ross and Wilf McSherry

Publisher's description: A growing consensus exists among helping professionals accrediting organizations and clients regarding the importance of spiritual assessment. The development of specific spiritual assessment instruments however has lagged behind this emerging interest. Further the varied needs and interests of clients suggest the importance of a variety of assessment methods rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. This practice-oriented text describes a complementary set of assessment instruments: spiritual histories spiritual lifemaps spiri-tual ecomaps spiritual genograms and spiritual ecograms. In addition it presents a variety of empirically-based interventions that flow from each instrument along with several case examples for illustration.

Spirituality often plays a critical role in health and wellness, yet few have explored in detail the process through which practitioners can identify and use clients' spiritual strengths to their mutual advantage. To address this gap, this practice-oriented text equips helping professionals with the tools they need to administer spiritual assessments ethically and professionally. David R. Hodge outlines a number of assessment approaches, including an implicit method for evaluating "secular" forms of spirituality. Case examples illustrate the implementation of these strategies in different clinical settings and with groups from diverse racial, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

How do pastors, chaplains, and caregivers assess the spiritual well-being and needs of the people they minister to? George Fitchett presents a model for spiritual assessment that he and his colleagues developed, illustrated with case studies. He reviews a number of other models and provides a six-part framework for evaluating them. Pastoral caregivers find that the effectiveness of their ministry is enhanced when they are able accurately to identify problem areas and needs in the spiritual lives of the people with whom they work. This book addresses many of the questions pastoral caregivers have raised about this timely topic and provides an informed and balanced approach for making decisions about spiritual assessment models and tools. George Fitchett is associate professor and director of research and spiritual assessment in the Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago.

The purpose of The Spiritual Self-Assessment Interview is for individuals to take a deeper look at their spiritual relationship with God and evaluate themselves on how well they are living out what they profess. This first of its kind book will encourage you and provide you with a tool to help measure areas that can be improved upon. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment as you will vividly see areas where you have done well. This, I see as a fresh perspective to challenge the way we think in our current culture. We are evaluated at our place of work and given a 90-day review, mid-year review and an annual review. We then strive to do our very best to improve in areas where we fall short for our employer. If we are willing to challenge ourselves to do better due to the critique of man, how much more should we be willing to do whatever it takes to improve ourselves for our God?

Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications examines current state-of-the-art efforts in the development and implementation of spiritual interventions for older adults. Academics and practitioners working in social work, social welfare, medicine, and mental health and aging present innovative approaches to meeting major challenges in the field of gerontology, including elder abuse, dementia, care giving, palliative care, and intergenerational relationships. The book provides practical methods for dealing with the problems and pitfalls of starting and evaluating interventions of a spiritual nature in a variety of community-based and institutional settings.

This open access volume is the first academic book on the controversial issue of including spiritual care in integrated electronic medical records (EMR). Based on an international study group comprising researchers from Europe (The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland), the United States, Canada, and Australia, this edited collection provides an overview of different charting practices and experiences in various countries and healthcare contexts. Encompassing case studies and analyses of theological, ethical, legal, healthcare policy, and practical issues, the volume is a groundbreaking reference for future discussion, research, and strategic planning for inter- or multi-faith healthcare chaplains and other spiritual care providers involved in the new field of documenting spiritual care in EMR. Topics explored among the chapters include: Spiritual Care Charting/Documenting/Recording/Assessment Charting Spiritual Care: Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Aspects Palliative Chaplain Spiritual Assessment Progress Notes Charting Spiritual Care: Ethical Perspectives Charting Spiritual Care in Digital Health: Analyses and Perspectives Charting Spiritual Care: The Emerging Role of Chaplaincy Records in Global Health Care is an essential resource for researchers in interprofessional spiritual care and healthcare chaplaincy, healthcare chaplains and other spiritual caregivers (nurses, physicians, psychologists, etc.), practical theologians and health ethicists, and church and denominational representatives.