Spiritual Care in Practice (SC8002Z)

Postgraduate, 12.0 points

Content

This unit will enable participants to explore the nature of spirituality and how our definitions and conceptualisations of spirituality impact our spiritual care. This unit will also briefly introduce spiritual assessment and care plans. This Micro-Credential unit will enable participants to explore some of the key values undergirding quality practice in spiritual care. The unit will cover the following topics:

  1. Definitions and conceptualisations of spirituality and how they affect our spiritual care of people
  2. Attentive listening and 'presence' in effective spiritual care
  3. Spiritual Assessment & Care Plans
  4. Critical self-reflection

Unit code: SC8002Z

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 12.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Spiritual Care

Proposing College: Uniting College for Leadership and Theology

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Learning outcomes

1.

Explore how definitions and conceptualisations of spirituality affect our spiritual care of people.
2.

Discuss attentive listening and presence in the provision of spiritual care.
3.

Explore evidence-based practice concerning spiritual assessment and care plans across the life cycle.
4.

Practice critical self-reflection to guide own formation as a spiritual care practitioner.

Pedagogy

Online synchronous, intensive days (with some face-to-face), case studies, workshops, creative approaches, reflective exercises

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bull, Alister W, et al. Spiritual Care in Practice: Case Studies in Healthcare Chaplaincy. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2015.
  • Doehring, Carrie. The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach. (rev. ed.) Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2015.
  • Swift, Christopher, Mark Cobb, and Andrew Todd. A Handbook of Chaplaincy Studies: Understanding Spiritual Care in Public Places. Oxfordshire: Routledge, 2016.

Other resources will be listed and/or provided in the Unit Guide and ARK.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Portfolio 2200 0.75
Summative Reflection 800 0.25
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 18 Nov, 2025

Unit record last updated: 2026-05-20 11:31:43 +1000