The aim of this study was to develop a consensus-based Spiritual Care Education Standard for undergraduate N/M students to use in undergraduate programmes. Design: Mixed methods were used consisting of qualitative and quantitative methods based on the principles of Delphi research. Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 58 (N = 58) participants from 21 European countries. Data collection was conducted from June 2017-February 2019 and took place in facilitated iterative action learning cycles and online surveys. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. Consensus was stated by >90% agreement. Results: The process resulted in an EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard consisting of the following four spiritual care competences: Intrapersonal spirituality, Interpersonal spirituality, Spiritual care: assessment and planning, Spiritual care: intervention and evaluation. For every competence, learning outcomes were described in knowledge, skills and attitudes. Conclusion: This Standard guides N/M spiritual care education, student assessment and research. It can be the starting point for discussing spiritual care competences in other healthcare professions. Follow-up research should focus on implementation of the standard and on assessment of students' spiritual competence. Impact: The Standard guides curriculum and programme development. The Standard guides students in performing their learning process. The Standard provides a frame of reference for policy making and follow-up research.

No abstract

Poor health often motivates people to engage in religious and spiritual approaches to healing. However, there is limited research on such experiences from a northern European perspective. This article investigates healing experiences related to Christian faith and practices in Norway by thematic analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews with individuals who have experienced healing of different ailments. In so doing, healing events across diverse contexts are characterised, and the results show that such experiences not only feature practices in which other people are present in prayer, preaching, and the laying on of hands, but also spontaneous extraordinary encounters with a divine being through visions and voices. The healing events are further described as experiences of transformational, powerful touch. In light of the lived body theory, these transformational experiences can be understood as re-inscriptions of health that are manifested in the intertwined bio–psycho–social–spiritual aspects of the body.

No abstract

No abstract