“The Chaplain was Part of the Team and Not Just a Component you Bring in Occasionally”: Exploring the Role of Chaplaincy in an Interprofessional Neuropalliative Outpatient Team

This study explores the role of chaplaincy in an interprofessional home care team supporting patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Germany. Drawing on qualitative interviews with team members, we examine how the chaplain contributed to team development, spiritual care delivery and the cultivation of workplace spirituality and identified four themes: (1) positive perception of chaplaincy in the team; (2) chaplains as impulse givers; (3) chaplaincy works on multiple levels; and (4) challenges and learning need. Findings indicate that the chaplain played a key role in fostering reflection, enhancing team cohesion and supporting both patients and professionals in emotionally demanding situations. Based on thematic analysis, we propose a theoretical competency framework for chaplains in outpatient care settings, addressing both patient-facing and team-oriented dimensions of care. Expected competencies include communication skills, theological literacy and openness to interprofessional collaboration, as well as homecare-specific competence, encompassing adaptability and responsiveness to evolving needs of patients, families and the broader care team; reflective and ethical practice, including contributions to team-based ethical deliberation, value clarification and processing of moral distress; and workplace spirituality and team culture, referring to the chaplain’s role in strengthening interprofessional cohesion, facilitating team rituals and promoting workplace spirituality. This model may inform recruitment, training and professional development of chaplains in emerging fields such as neuropalliative care and offers insights from a Central European context, while highlighting chaplaincy’s evolving role in dynamic, collaborative healthcare environments.