To be, or not to be more scientific? That is the question: yes, absolutely, but....

I use a systems theory approach to address the question of whether or not to become more scientific in our professions of pastoral education and chaplaincy. While acknowledging and discussing the many tensions and issues raised by this important question, I provide a rationale for why we must become more scientific. I reflect on the cost of both becoming more scientific and not becoming more scientific in our professions.

If chaplaincy understands health care reform, will it hurt the profession less?

The author summarizes the work of three authorities who present diverse views concerning health care reform. He suggests that these viewpoints will help chaplaincy more clearly understand clinical and administrative situations and promote creative adjustment to reform efforts.

My experience with health care reform.

Health care reform efforts have personal and professional implications as well as consequences. This case study describes the author's experience with suddenly losing his chaplaincy position because of budgetary constraints. Methods of coping with the trauma are described.

Health care reform: analysis of narrative responses from directors of pastoral care departments.

This paper is a narrative analysis of comments written by hospital pastoral care department directors in response to the questionnaire item that asked them to write about their experience with health care reform and to make suggestions as to what the profession could do about it. Three central themes included: (1) the importance of and need for administrative support of the department, (2) the importance of departmental visibility within the institution, and (3) the challenges of embracing change. Two secondary themes were the admonishing of peer department directors concerning inadequate performance and the ministry to hospital staff during reform efforts.

Economic rationalism and the cost efficiency of hospital chaplaincy: an Australian study.

Health care reform is also occurring in Australia and effects hospital chaplaincy programs. "Economic rationalism" is the philosophic foundation of this effort and its contrast with the values inherit in hospital chaplaincy are highlighted. Selected research results from the Australian system are described and the authors offer a perspective on the cost efficiency of hospital chaplaincy.

The moon has four phases and that's what worries me.

The values held by health care administrators and inherent in the operation of the institution are of primary importance to the ministry of pastoral care. This narrative/story provides a case history in which the author recounts how these values change as administrators change. The results suggest that these values constitute one of the hidden variables that influenced the questionnaire results reported earlier in this work.

How has health care reform affected professional chaplaincy programs and how are department directors responding?

No published studies were identified that describe the impact of health care reform on professional chaplaincy departments in hospital settings. Results from a random sample (N = 370) of department directors indicate that 45 percent report no budgetary consequences, 27 percent have experienced budgetary cutbacks, and 17 percent describe departmental growth. The cutbacks most often involve the loss of staff chaplain positions. Directors also describe past and future strategies for resisting downsizing trends.