"Do you Really Believe that There is Something More?" - The Offer of Transcendental Communication by Pastoral Care Workers in German Hospices and Palliative Care Units: A Qualitative Study.
Armin Nassehi, Irmhild Saake, Christof Breitsameter and 4 others
PMID 37485839WHAT IT FOUND
Pastoral care workers in German hospices describe their role as offering open-ended, non-goal-oriented conversations and rituals to patients and families.
They position themselves as outsiders to the medical team, allowing them to address questions about death and meaning without organizational constraints.
Key findings
01Pastoral care workers view their separation from the medical team's routines and documentation requirements as essential to providing spiritual care.
02The core offering is the availability for conversation about any topic, including daily life or existential questions, without forcing religious content.
03Performing religious rituals is described as a unique function that provides structure and comfort to families during the transition of death.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only eight participants, which limits the transferability of the findings. The research was conducted exclusively in Germany, so the organizational context and funding models for pastoral care may not apply to other countries. The sample was drawn from a specific theoretical perspective (differentiation theory), which may shape how the data were interpreted. There was no member checking, meaning participants did not review the transcripts or findings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine at LMU Munich.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the positive description of pastoral care as evidence that this specific model improves patient outcomes. The study reports how these workers perceive their role and what they offer, not whether these actions reduce suffering or improve quality of life for patients or families.