title: What do I do? Developing a taxonomy of chaplaincy activities and interventions for spiritual care in intensive care unit palliative care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chaplains are increasingly seen as key members of interdisciplinary palliative care teams, yet the specific interventions and hoped for outcomes of their work are poorly understood. This project served to develop a standard terminology inventory for the chaplaincy field, to be called the chaplaincy taxonomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research team used a mixed methods approach to generate, evaluate and validate items for the taxonomy. We conducted a literature review, retrospective chart review, focus groups, self-observation, experience sampling, concept mapping, and reliability testing. Chaplaincy activities focused primarily on palliative care in an intensive care unit setting in order to capture a broad cross section of chaplaincy activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Literature and chart review resulted in 438 taxonomy items for testing. Chaplain focus groups generated an additional 100 items and removed 421 items as duplications. Self-Observation, Experience Sampling and Concept Mapping provided validity that the taxonomy items were actual activities that chaplains perform in their spiritual care. Inter-rater reliability for chaplains to identify taxonomy items from vignettes was 0.903.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 100 item chaplaincy taxonomy provides a strong foundation for a normative inventory of chaplaincy activities and outcomes. A deliberative process is proposed to further expand and refine the taxonomy to create a standard terminological inventory for the field of chaplaincy. A standard terminology could improve the ways inter-disciplinary palliative care teams communicate about chaplaincy activities and outcomes.
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Massey
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Marilyn J D
authors: MJ
authors: Barnes
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Dana
authors: D
authors: Villines
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Julie D
authors: JD
authors: Goldstein
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Anna Lee Hisey
authors: AL
authors: Pierson
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Cheryl
authors: C
authors: Scherer
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Betty
authors: B
authors: Vander Laan
authors: Advocate Health Care, 3075 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA.
authors: Wm Thomas
authors: WT
authors: Summerfelt
mesh_terms: D002604:Chaplaincy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007587:Job Description; D019370:Observation; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D029181:Spirituality; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: Chaplaincy; Palliative care; Spiritual care; Standard terminology; Taxonomy