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Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Report #1
by Garth Wittich
Chaplain, William Osler Health Centre
(Editorial Note: In a previous posting of OMNI we included a Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Form developed by Garth Wittich at William Osler Health Centre. The survey has been implemented at WOHC and we are now able to share the initial results with our readership. Further information can be obtained from Garth Wittich at garth_wittich@oslerhc.org )
1. Background
Garth Wittich, Chaplain, WOHC, with support from WOHC chaplains Miranda Lau and Karen- Anne Fox, conducted a Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Survey. The Survey measured the spiritual and religious care needs across WOHC by collecting data from staff and volunteers, as well as community clergy. This data would then be used to inform Spiritual and Religious Care's Five-Year Plan.
2. Initial Preparation
A timeline was created for the Survey's rollout and for the development of Spiritual and Religious Care's Five-Year Plan. This timeline involves three phases and provides an accountable framework of the project's progress.
3. Researching and Developing the Survey
Different resources were utilized to create the Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Survey. The quantitative questions evolved from Professional Chaplaincy: Its Role and Importance In Healthcare, 2001, edited by Larry VandeCreek and Laurel Burton. This report summarizes chaplaincy's role in healthcare, and it describes the ten primary functions of a chaplain as determined by an international committee of healthcare professionals. The Survey's qualitative questions were based on research by Christopher DeBono, Chaplain, St. Joseph's Healthcare, London, while investigating the spiritual and religious care needs of clients and staff at St. Joseph's Regional Mental Health facility. Articles from the Ontario Multifaith Council in Toronto and feedback from chaplaincy colleagues were additional resources that contributed to keeping the Survey's content concise, measurable and easy to complete.
4. Distributing the Survey across WOHC
Three methods were used to distribute the Survey. At Brampton Memorial Hospital Campus (BMHC), the Survey was distributed by providing all of the patient care areas with sufficient copies and by asking one person at each area to look after distributing the Survey. There was follow-up every few days to collect completed Surveys in an efficient manner and to answer questions about the Survey. Copies were also provided in person to BMHC staff who are not front line workers but were interested in completing the Survey ( e.g. Patient Ombudsman; housekeeping). Additional copies were supplied to clergy and volunteers. At Etobicoke Hospital Campus (EHC), Surveys were distributed by providing Patient Care Managers with copies for distribution to their teams. A timeframe of one week was given to encourage an efficient response. There was regular follow-up to collect completed copies and to answer inquiries about the Survey. At Georgetown Hospital Campus (GHC), Patient Care Managers were provided with copies of the Survey to distribute to staff. The Survey was also discussed at GHC staff meetings. At all three WOHC campuses, staff and volunteers were receptive to the Survey. No one dismissed the invitation to complete the Survey. and many expressed a ready interest to take part.
5. Gathering the Data
Different methods were used to collect the Survey. At BMHC, most of the Surveys were collected in person at the various units. Staff and volunteers also utilized internal mail and Karen-Anne Fox's office as a 'drop-off location. At EHC, completed Surveys were most often submitted by the Patient Care Managers for their team. At GHC, Surveys were gathered in person twice weekly over a period of three weeks. By visiting the patient care areas at GHC regularly, staff and volunteers became more familiar with Spiritual and Religious Care. This, in turn, encouraged their participation in the Survey. At no point did staff at any of WOHC's three campuses indicate that filling out the Survey was inconvenient or time consuming. As well, staff responded to the personal manner in which it was distributed and collected.
6. Compiling the Data
Two software programs were used to calculate the Survey's data -Microsoft Excel and Access. Excel proved extremely effective for totalling the data and calculating percentages. Access proved particularly effective for grouping the different professions and the comments they shared. As well, Surveys from all three sites were numbered, and they were labelled according to the site and unit from which they came. This enables the data to be retrieved easily and to be analyzed from both a corporate and unit-specific perspective.
7. Quantitative Results
Corporate Return of Survey:
The Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Survey had a high percentage of completed returns.
A total of 1010 Surveys were distributed across WOHC, with 550 going to BMHC, 340 to EHC and 120 to GHC. A total of 334 Surveys were completed, which is equivalent to a 33% rate of return. As well, the percentage of returns from each site was almost identical:
BMHC -32% ( 178 of 550 Surveys returned)
EHC- 34% (117 of 340 Surveys returned)
GHC -33% (39 of 120 Surveys returned)
Corporate Extent of SRC Services Needed:
Respondents across WOHC rated Spiritual and Religious Care as being needed "Frequently" or "Sometimes" far higher than they did "Never" or not at all (i.e. "Blank"). 38% of the respondents rated Spiritual and Religious Care as being needed Frequently (F), while 45% rated it Sometimes (S). This compares to 12% Never (N) and 5% left Blank (B).
The three campuses each gave a comparative overall rating to Spiritual and Religious Care in terms of it being needed either Frequently or Sometimes:
BMHC -85% (43% Frequently and 42% Sometimes)
EHC- 79% (33% Frequently and 46% Sometimes)
GHC -86% (38% Frequently and 48% Sometimes)
Corporate Rating of a Chaplain's Functions:
Respondents rated the ten areas measured by the Survey's quantitative scale in the following order. This order is based on the percentage of respondents across WOHC rating these function areas as being needed Frequently or Sometimes:
Chaplain as Provider of Spiritual and Religious Care -92% Chaplain as Leader of Worship -90%
Chaplain as Counsellor and Comforter- 87% Chaplain as Mediator and Reconciler- 87%
Chaplain as Participant in Ethics Programs -84% Chaplain as Educator- 83% Chaplain as Advocate -79%
Chaplain as Researcher- 76%
Chaplain as Interdisciplinary Team Member- 75%
Chaplain as Resource for Complimentary Healing Traditions -71 %
Nine of the ten function areas scored 75% or higher. Even the lowest achieved a percentage high enough to indicate that a majority of respondents want to see some provision of care in this area by Spiritual and Religious Care.
8. Qualitative Results
Qualitative data was collected by addressing three aspects of Spiritual and Religious Care:
Are there other Spiritual and Religious Care issues that you have identified relating to the following:
1. Your dients' primary spiritual and religious care needs.
2. Your own (as caregiver) spiritual and religious care needs.
How can Spiritual and Religious Care help your program and you?
Across WOHC, 44% of the respondents answered the question, "How can Spiritual and Religious Care help your program and you?" 32% replied to "Your clients' primary spiritual and religious care needs," while 26% offered suggestions for "Your own (as caregiver) spiritual and religious care needs." (The specific details of these responses will inform Phases 2 and 3 of the development of Spiritual and Religious Care's Five-Year Plan.)
The responses were analyzed and grouped according to the ten function areas that the Survey's quantitative scale measures. The percentage of times that the responses pertained to a particular function area was comparable to the order determined by the overall percentage of need. (See Corporate Rating of a Chaplain's Functions):
Chaplain as Counsellor and Comforter
Chaplain as Provider of Spiritual and Religious Care Chaplain as Leader of Worship Chaplain as Educator Chaplain as Advocate
Chaplain as Mediator and Reconciler
Chaplain as Interdisciplinary Team Member Chaplain as Participant in Ethics Programs Chaplain as Researcher
Chaplain as Resource for Complimentary Healing Traditions
9. Respondents
A variety of staff and volunteers across WOHC took part in the Survey. The majority of respondents were nurses, comprising 52% of the total Surveys returned. 19% of the respondents chose not to state their profession. The remainder were relatively equal in their representation:
Clergy and Volunteers
Community Care Case Managers and Discharge Planners
Dieticians
Health Care Aids
Housekeeping
Nursing Students
Occupational Therapists and Recreational Therapists
Patient Educators
Physicians
Physio- Therapists and Speech Therapists
Social Workers
Ward Clerks
While respondents from some areas numbered only one or two, their participation enables the Survey to provide as corporate and as interdisciplinary a perspective as possible, rather than limiting the results to one particular area or field of care.
10. Conclusions
The following are based on an initial interpretation of the Survey's results:
Each WOHC campus returned an almost equal percentage of Surveys. This suggests that no one campus is more interested in the provision of Spiritual and Religious Care. Rather, all three campuses are equally interested, which supports Spiritual and Religious Care's vision of providing a corporate-wide service.
Many staff and volunteers across WOHC participated in the Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Survey. This suggests that team members across the corporation are very interested in having Spiritual and Religious Care as a service that is increasingly accessible and available to meet their needs.
83% of the respondents measured Spiritual and Religious Care as being needed Frequently or Sometimes. This indicates that WOHC staff and volunteers see Spiritual and Religious Care as a significant service that needs to be provided across the corporation.
All three campuses varied slightly when rating Spiritual and Religious Care as being needed Frequently or Sometimes: BMHC -85%; EHC- 79%; GHC - 86%. The similarity of these figures reinforces that Spiritual and Religious Care must service the three WOHC campuses equally as one corporation.
Respondents at BMHC circled Frequently more often compared to EHC and GHC; however, even a rating of Sometimes points to a needed increase in service. This is because many of the services measured by the Survey are available from Spiritual and Religious Care but are not in place due to limited resources.
The Corporate Rating of a Chaplain's Functions reveals that the majority of respondents require service from all ten function areas either Frequently or Sometimes. This means that each of the ten function areas is applicable to the development of Spiritual and Religious Care's Five-Year Plan.
Most respondents answering the Survey's qualitative questions chose, "How can Spiritual and Religious Care help your program and you? , while a smaller percentage provided comments for either the clients' spiritual and religious care needs or their own. This indicates that staff want Spiritual and Religious Care to be a service that integrates both clients AND staff in the provision of its care. This supports Spiritual and Religious Care's vision of being a supportive service to clients and staff across WOHC.
Quantitatively and qualitatively, respondents rated the ten function areas of a chaplain in similar order. This reinforces that staff across WOHC have a relatively consistent opinion about the services they are seeking from Spiritual and Religious Care. This will benefit the shape and vision of Spiritual and Religious Care's Five-Year Plan.
While 52% of the respondents were nurses, the extensive range of participants illustrates that Spiritual and Religious Care is a service that team members across WOHC value. This reinforces the development of a Five- Year Plan that is corporate-wide and inclusive.
Posted by editor on January 12, 2004 10:27 AM