The Chaplain Profession from the Employer Perspective: An Analysis of Hospice Chaplain Job Advertisements

Hospitals and hospice organizations who are hiring chaplains to provide spiritual care for terminally ill patients post online job advertisements with specific qualifications and communication skills that applicants should possess. An examination of job advertisements can uncover trends in credentials and responsibilities expected of hospice chaplains. Results of a framework analysis of 71 hospice chaplain job advertisements indicated that 44% of chaplain job advertisements did not require chaplain applicants to have completed clinical pastoral education (CPE) and 41% did not required ordination and/or endorsement from a recognized denomination. Only 37% of hiring organizations required or preferred professional certification. Furthermore, patient support (70%), ambassadorship (54%), team collaboration (52%), and interfaith proficiency (46%) were the communication skills that advertisements tended to emphasize. This article focuses on how the study findings reflect ongoing challenges for the chaplain occupational group on its path to professionalization.