2 A QUESTION OF IDENTITY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CHAPLAINS TO BECOME HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS?

Abstract: What does it mean to be a healthcare chaplain? The recent introduc-tion of the chaplaincy guidelines has taken chaplains into the heart of the health-care system and ensured that the National Health Service in Scotland has to think about and perhaps re-think the role of chaplaincy and its place within the system of healthcare delivery within Scotland. This presents a challenge not only to the National Health Service but also to chaplaincy. Chaplains will be called to ac-count for who they are and what they do in a way that they have not previously had to. The question of the professional identity of the chaplain is thus crucial. This paper reflects critically on the identity of chaplaincy as a healthcare disci-pline and offers some reflective comments on the pros and cons of what it might mean for chaplains to develop an identity as “healthcare professionals.” Key words: chaplaincy, professional identity, professionalism, professionalisation, spiritual care. These are interesting times for chaplains. The recent introduction of the new chaplaincy guidelines has taken chaplaincy into the heart of the healthcar