Spiritual Care Association Announces New Foundational Paper and Certification for Spiritual Care Nursing

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Spiritual Care Association (SCA) is thrilled to announce the publication of its latest foundational paper, “Spiritual Care Nursing: A White Paper for the Development and Implementation of a Specialized Nursing Practice.”

The purpose of this white paper is to establish a conceptual and practice framework for Spiritual Care Nursing as an emerging nursing specialty and to provide recommendations for its implementation within healthcare organizations. Specifically, this paper sets out to:
• Define Spiritual Care Nursing and the role of the Spiritual Care Nurse within professional nursing practice.
• Present the philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual foundations of the specialty.
• Describe the Clinical Practice Model for Spiritual Care Nursing and its essential attributes.
• Clarify the relationship between Spiritual Care Nursing, professional chaplaincy, and the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Propose competencies, educational preparation, and organizational structures necessary for implementation.
• Identify priorities for education, practice, research, quality improvement, and health policy.

Read the paper at https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/foundational-papers/.

Over the past several years, SCA invested in the research and publication of 10 other foundational white papers. These documents explore the importance of spiritual care in various health care settings, including hospital chaplaincy, hospice and palliative care chaplaincy, and the roles of the physician, the nurse, and the social worker in spiritual care, and now, with its 11th paper, spiritual care nursing.

Spiritual Care Nursing (SCN) is an emerging specialized nursing practice that builds upon nursing’s longstanding commitment to whole-person, patient-centered care. Registered nurses already assess and respond to the physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of health as part of professional nursing practice. Spiritual Care Nursing strengthens this existing nursing role by providing advanced education in recognizing and assessing the spiritual dimension of whole-person health, applying nursing clinical judgment, developing individualized Spiritual Nursing Plans of Care, providing evidence-based spiritual nursing interventions, documenting and evaluating outcomes, and collaborating with the interdisciplinary healthcare team. SCN strengthens nurses’ preparation to fulfill responsibilities within the nursing process while promoting timely consultation, referral, and partnership with professional chaplaincy when patients would benefit from chaplaincy expertise.

“This is an important step and welcome development in the spiritual care field,” said Rev. Eric Hall, President and CEO of the Spiritual Care Association. “Building on this aspect of the nurse’s calling can only improve and enrich healthcare. It will also increase the staff at hospitals and other settings who are prepared to offer high-quality, evidence-based spiritual care in collaboration with professional chaplains.”

To support nurses at different stages of professional development, the Westberg Institute, in collaboration with Capstone University, is establishing two advanced education pathways in Spiritual Care Nursing. The first provides registered nurses with advanced education and competency development in spiritual nursing care, strengthening their ability to integrate the spiritual dimension into whole-person nursing practice. Learn more at https://capstoneuniversity.org/school-of-spiritual-care-nursing/.

The second builds upon this educational preparation for nurses who meet additional professional eligibility requirements and wish to pursue the Certified Spiritual Care Nurse (CSCN) professional credential through the Spiritual Care Association. Together, the two pathways provide a structured progression from advanced education to professional certification while strengthening nursing competency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the delivery of high-quality whole-person care. More about CSCN can be found at https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/certified-spiritual-care-nurse-cscn/.

“We are excited to launch the Spiritual Care Nursing education course and provide nurses with an opportunity to develop advanced knowledge and competency in spiritual nursing care. This course brings together the philosophy, evidence, nursing process, and clinical skills needed to intentionally address the spiritual dimension of whole-person health. Even more exciting is that nurses can now continue from advanced education toward professional recognition as a Certified Spiritual Care Nurse," said Deborah J. Ziebarth, PhD, MSN-Ed., RN-BC, Director, SCA Westberg Institute. "These pathways mark an important new chapter for Spiritual Care Nursing and for our ongoing commitment to whole-person care.”

About the Spiritual Care Association
The Spiritual Care Association (SCA) is an international, nonprofit professional membership organization for chaplains, clergy, and other spiritual care providers. SCA is committed to advancing the highest standards in chaplaincy through education, advocacy, and research, serving people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds.

About Westberg Institute
The Westberg Institute is an international leader in nurse education, consultation, and research dissemination. WI sponsors various courses, programs, and activities as an extension of its mission to serve nurses locally, nationally, and internationally.

Molly Sabala
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network
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