Hospital Characteristics Affecting HealthCare Chaplaincy and the Provision of Chaplaincy Care in the United States: 2004 vs. 2016

Abstract

This study replicates, expands and analyzes a 2004 survey examining six hospital characteristics influencing three measures of chaplain employment in large, small, for-profit and nonprofit hospitals. The relationship between hospital characteristics and hiring Board Certified Chaplains was minor and inconsistent across time. The results indicate that religiously affiliated hospitals employed more full-time chaplains and that chaplain full-time equivalents were inversely related to hospital size in both surveys. The current survey suggests that urban and religiously affiliated hospitals were more likely to hire chaplains. The sampling method proved problematic, precluding meaningful conclusions but the study focus and questions remain important for future investigation based on this pilot effort.