A retrospective and prospective on the professional development of spiritual care

The present paper aims to explore the professional development of spiritual care within healthcare systems. It reviews the practical experiences of spiritual care professional development in several countries, including the policy frameworks, practices, and professional certification systems in the UK, the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan. By structuring the information, this study organizes the development status of spiritual care in different countries and analyzes the underlying policy support, educational systems, and practical outcomes. The goal is to understand the successful experiences and lessons learned in the process of professionalizing spiritual care in various countries, thereby providing recommendations for the future development of spiritual care in Taiwan. The analysis indicates that the professional development of spiritual care can be divided into several stages: an initial phase of religious support, a gradual process of professionalization, and the current stage of institutionalization and interdisciplinary collaboration. These development directions highlight the importance of integrating spiritual care into healthcare systems and emphasize its potential to meet patients’ psychological and emotional needs. Based on Taiwan’s context and drawing on the successful experiences of other countries, the following four aspects have been analyzed as references for the professional development of spiritual care in Taiwan: 1. Regulations and Policy: establishing clear legal and policy frameworks; 2. Education and Professional Training: strengthening specialized training programs for spiritual care practitioners; 3. Cross-Cultural and Religious Diversity: promoting understanding and inclusion of diverse cultural and religious contexts; and 4. Evidence-Based Research on Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention Models: developing and applying proven models in practice. Taiwan should enhance professional training in spiritual care and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the spiritual care competence of healthcare professionals. Additionally, policymakers should be encouraged to establish clearer regulations and allocate more resources to spiritual care, thereby enabling a more effective fulfillment of patients’ holistic needs. These measures will contribute to the professional development of spiritual care in Taiwan and improve the overall quality of healthcare services.