Funded by the Health Research Council, our research will examine the current Aotearoa New Zealand (A/NZ) spiritual care environment and ask how spiritual care can be improved across our healthcare systems at a policy, institutional and practice level. We are led by the following research questions and objectives.

Research questions: In the emerging ANZ healthcare systems, how can spiritual care services be best structured and integrated to achieve the provision of inclusive, equitable, holistic care for all people? What does excellent, inclusive, culturally safe spiritual care look like and mean in practice in ANZ?

What do you think? We’d love to know. Have your say on our Blog

Research objectives: 1) to understand existing spiritual care needs in ANZ; 2) to understand ANZ spiritual care practitioners’ existing spiritual care provision; 3) to investigate how spiritual care might be best provided to ANZ’s diverse population within the framework of Te Tiriti o Waitangi; and, 4) to develop consensus-based spiritual care recommendations and an action plan for ANZ healthcare.

Our research approach: to answer these questions and objectives we have three phases, with six inter-related studies.

Phase 1: Whanaungatanga phase (July 2024 – March 2025)

The aim of Phase 1 is to work with relevant communities to develop relationships and start a national conversation about spiritual care for the project. Led by our Māori research rōpū, ten Kanohi-ki-te-kanohi wānanga / face-to-face hui will happen across Aotearoa, New Zealand. See this website's “Take Part” (hyperlink)section for venues and dates. These hui are about connecting with communities we will continue to work with over the three years, letting people know about the project, and hearing initial thoughts about spiritual care. For those not able to make this hui, there will be ten virtual hui (hyperlink), offering the same information and opportunity for feedback from anyone in Aotearoa. And to continue the conversation, throughout the time of the research, we have an online space that we’d love to hear your view, see Blog (hyperlink). Data collection and analysis: all hui voices, ideas, images etc., will be collected and analysed using qualitative methods, including audio and video recording, photos, and text. The iterative hui process is part of the ‘design’ phase of co-design. Ongoing findings will be published in an academic journal, and a lay version will be included in the virtual space, which will operate throughout the project. Together with the literature review (hyperlink to lit review on Aussi website), these findings will inform phase two and three.

Phase 2: baseline data / mapping exercise (Jan 2025 – Sept 2026)

Phase two aims to produce a national profile of existing spiritual care needs and provision in both community and healthcare settings, including hospitals, aged residential care, hospices, Hauora Māori and Pacific settings. There are six studies in this mixed methods approach. Appropriate ethics approval and Māori consultation processes will be followed. Koha will be offered to the qualitative participants as reciprocation for their contribution.

 a)      Qualitative study: Consumer (patients and their whānau) / community needs / views

To understand the spiritual care needs, views and aspirations of consumers and communities we will do ten focus groups, some kanohi-ki-te-kanohi \ face-to-face, others online. Participants will include: patient advocacy groups, consumer councils, and hauora  and other NGOs across the motu/country. Recruitment will look beyond ‘mainstream’ sources to include organisations like Māori NGOs, social services, humanist and inter-faith groups, Whānau Ora and Asian health services, migrant and Iwi networks. If you would like to be involved, do let us know! Qualitative analysis will employ generic thematic analysis.

b)      Quantitative study: Consumer (patients and their whānau) / community needs and views

Building on the qualitative study a) above, this study will be a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the general population (n=1000) focusing on spiritual care needs, reasons for those needs, perceptions of chaplaincy and experiences with chaplaincy and spiritual care. The survey will be conducted by a reputable survey company using an internationally relevant survey instrument made relevant for Aotearoa.  

c)      Qualitative study: Aotearoa healthcare spiritual care providers’ profile/needs/visions

Study c) aims to provide a profile of current spiritual care provision and role/tasks (what spiritual care providers do) across diverse spiritual landscapes; and to examine current best practice, experience of healthcare systems, education/qualifications, training experiences and needs, assessment processes, and visions for future models of spiritual care. This will involve key informant interviews of a variety of spiritual care experts, including Māori spiritual care experts/tōhunga; Pacific, Asian, and other hospital/hospice/ARC chaplains/spiritual care providers.

d)      Quantitative study: Aotearoa healthcare spiritual care providers profile/needs/visions

Building on the qualitative study c) above, this study aims to provide a quantitative profile of current spiritual care provision, etc. This will require a comprehensive survey aimed at capturing the perspectives of a wide range of professional spiritual care providers. We are investigating possible survey instruments. Participants will include approximately 90 hospital chaplains, approximately 32 hospice chaplains and an unknown number of Māori, Pacific, Asian and Aged Residential Care chaplains.

e)      Qualitative study: Governance, management, and systems profile related to spiritual care provision

Study e) aims to provide an overarching stakeholder perspective and a profile of mid and upstream understandings of spiritual care provision, training, governance, accreditation, fiscal issues and management (i.e., institutional, policy and stakeholder lead roles).  We will hold wānanga/focus groups and/or interviews with key stakeholders, including staff from the Interchurch Hospital Chaplaincy (ICHC) and the New Zealand Healthcare Chaplaincy Association (NZHCA), Manatū Hauora /Ministry of Health (MoH), Te Whatu Ora, Te Aka Whai Ora staff, Aged Residential Care and hospice leaders, senior medical / health care professional leaders, senior religious leaders, and Iwi leaders.

 f)        Quantitative study: Healthcare professionals' spiritual care beliefs, knowledge and competency

This study aims to evaluate healthcare professionals’ spiritual care competency using the validated  EPICC Spiritual Care Competency Self-Assessment Tool. Participants will include doctors, nurses, psychologists and other relevant healthcare professionals.

Each of the Phase 2 studies will provide data for a national profile of existing spiritual care provision and needs in both community and healthcare settings. Summary findings will be made available on our website.

Phase 3: National wānanga: develop recommendations and action plan (January 2027 – March 2027)

The final phase of this project aims to address the objectives: 3) to investigate how spiritual care might be best provided to ANZ’s diverse population within the framework of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and 4) to develop consensus-based spiritual care recommendations and an action plan for ANZ healthcare. We will bring together key Te Tiriti partners and community and stakeholder representatives to develop consensus-based spiritual care recommendations and an action plan for ANZ healthcare. The co-design consensus-based approach is important if the recommendations are to be acceptable and affect change and budget provision. This hui process will be a kanohi-ki-te-kanohi / face-to-face wānanga facilitated co-design process in an appropriate venue, allowing all participants to contribute in a culturally/spiritually safe environment. The final outcome will be broad buy-in regarding spiritual care recommendations and an action plan to structure and provide spiritual care across ANZ. We will report back to all those who have participated in Phases One and Two above, add a final report to the website, and produce peer-reviewed publications. We will be happy to present our findings at hui, meetings and conferences.