Spiritual Competence in Healthcare: Contemporary Research and Training
 

What Spiritual Competence Is

Spiritual competence refers to a set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that enable healthcare professionals to recognize, assess, and respond effectively to the spiritual needs and values of patients as part of holistic care. It spans cognitive, affective, and functional domains, integrating self-awareness, communication, empathy, and respect for diverse spiritual identities. (PubMed)
 

Recent concept analyses confirm that competent spiritual care requires intrapersonal (self-awareness, humility), interpersonal (active listening, compassion), and transpersonal (meaning-making, hope fostering) resources. (Springer Link)
 

Empirical instruments such as the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS) and Spiritual Care Competence Questionnaire (SCCQ) operationalize these domains, enabling assessment of proficiency among nurses and care teams. (PMC)

Scholarly definitions emphasize that spiritual competence is not solely religious literacy but includes sensitivities to existential questions, meaning, belonging, and dignity across belief systems—including secular and non-religious perspectives. (PubMed)

 

Why Spiritual Competence Is Needed

Patient Outcomes and Quality of Care

• Holistic Well-Being: Spiritual competence contributes to comprehensive care that recognizes the spiritual dimension as part of overall health, improving quality of life, coping, and existential well-being. (PubMed)
• Patient Satisfaction and Meaning: When care teams attend to patients’ values and beliefs, there is evidence of better psychological peace, reduced anxiety, and enhanced patient and family satisfaction—especially in serious and end-of-life settings. (PubMed)
• Communication and Trust: Competent spiritual care improves clinician–patient communication, strengthening rapport and facilitating patient-centered decision-making. (Journal of Human Services)

Professional Outcomes

• Confidence and Preparedness: Many clinicians report feeling unprepared or lacking confidence to address spiritual concerns without training, constraining their ability to provide whole-person care. (PubMed)
• Job Fulfillment and Burnout Resistance: Research suggests that clinicians who cultivate personal spiritual awareness and competence experience greater professional satisfaction and resilience, potentially mitigating burnout. (Frontiers)
• Ethical and Multicultural Practice: Spiritual competence supports culturally responsive care and ethical practice, particularly in diverse patient populations where spirituality intersects with culture, identity, and health beliefs. (Journal of Human Services)

 

Training Programs for Spiritual Competence

If you’re interested in gaining skills in spiritual competence, there are several resources.  If you know of a resource that isn’t listed below, please let me know so that I can add it here.
 

Free or Open Resources

1. Spiritual Competency Training Materials (SCT-MH)

• Free curriculum materials for integrating spirituality into mental health education, including instructor guides, discussions, and other multimedia are available at the Spiritual and Religious Competencies Project Resources. (SRCP)

2. Spiritual Competency Academy

• Offers online modules in evidence-based spiritual assessment and spiritual care fundamentals with no access fee, though some advanced CE options may require registration. (Spiritual Competency Academy)
• Website: spiritualcompetencyacademy.com

Many university, hospice, and palliative care organizations also offer free introductory modules or webinars on spiritual care fundamentals (e.g., “Spiritual care is everybody’s business” for health workers). (Spiritual Competence in Healthcare)

 

Formal Paid Training (Healthcare & Mental Health)

Spiritual Competency Training in Mental Health (SCT-MH) – University of Maryland / edX

• A structured online course designed for mental health providers to address spiritual and religious diversity in care. (edX)
• Typically 6–8 hours with Continuing Education credit options (CE credits available for a fee). (Solihten Institute)
• Provides core competencies: knowledge of spiritual frameworks, communication skills, and integration of spiritual concerns into clinical practice.

Workshops and CE Courses (Spiritual Care Association)

• A variety of online and live training programs including palliative care spirituality, major religious traditions, and interdisciplinary practices. (Spiritual Competence in Healthcare)
• Topics range from end-of-life spiritual care to culturally responsive care strategies.

University or Professional Certification Programs

• Graduate certificates (e.g., Mental Health & Spirituality Certificate at select universities). (Spiritual Competence in Healthcare)

 

Training in Specific Care Settings

Healthcare and Acute Care

• General spiritual competence modules are increasingly recommended in nursing and medical curricula to improve preparedness for everyday clinical interactions. (SpringerLink)

Mental Health Care

• SCT-MH is among the best-studied formal programs showing measurable improvements in competency and confidence. (Ovid)

Palliative and End-of-Life Care

• Training focused on palliative contexts emphasizes integrating spiritual care into multi-disciplinary teams and end-of-life planning. (PubMed)
• Systematic reviews document that well-structured spiritual care training improves clinicians’ ability to meet existential needs of patients and families. (JPSM)

Home and Community Care Providers

• Although fewer specialized programs target home healthcare providers exclusively, general spiritual care competencies (e.g., active listening, meaning-making conversations) are widely applicable and available through the above programs. (Spiritual Competence in Healthcare)

 

Key References (Peer-Reviewed & Training Resources)

1. Brown, T. https://spiritualcompetence.com/spiritual-competence-resources/
2. Costeira C, Querido A, Ventura F, et al. Spiritual Care[givers] in Palliative Care: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2024. (MDPI) J Relig Health. 2025. (Springer Link)
3. De Luca E, Sena B, Butcher K and de Wal LJ (2025) Spirituality and palliative care: international models and new perspectives. Frontiers in Sociology. 10:1523685. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1523685/
4. Rykkje L, et al. Educational Interventions and Strategies for Spiritual Care in nursing and healthcare Students and Staff: A Scoping Review. 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34611922/
5. Jones, K.F., Piret, P., Symons, X. et al., The Content, Teaching Methods and Effectiveness of Spiritual Care Training for Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2021. https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924%2821%2900237-2/fulltext?utm_source
6. Spiritual Competency Training in Mental Health (UMaryland-Baltimore edX). (edX)
7. Free spiritual competency materials (Spiritual & Religious Competencies Project). (SRCP)
8. Spiritual Competency Academy online courses. (Spiritual Competency Academy)