Spiritual Care in Practice (SC8002Z)

Postgraduate, 12.0 points

Content

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

  1. Key spiritual care values of equity, diversity & dignity of all persons
  2. Person-centred care and spiritual care as not proselytising
  3. 'Culture' and recent research on cultural shifts in religious & spiritual identity in Australia in the context of spiritual care, and corresponding rituals.
  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: 2025-11-18 16:01:05 +1100