Free Chaplaincy Resources for Clinical Practice and Hospital Compliance

01

Spiritual Care Progress Note Template

Three structured note formats for EHR systems and paper charts, built on the PEACE model.

Most chaplains can conduct a strong encounter but struggle to translate it into a clinical record the interdisciplinary team can read and act on. This template provides three note formats covering the full range of chaplaincy documentation: a Standard Progress Note for initial consults and complex encounters, a Brief Follow-Up Note for continuity visits, and a Crisis and Urgent Note for death, imminent death, and acute escalation.

Every format is structured on the five PEACE domains and aligned with Joint Commission standards RC.02.02.01 and RI.01.02.01. Includes a PEACE-to-note-field crosswalk, a clinical language reference table, an intervention verb bank, spiritual distress rating anchors, and a documentation quality self-audit.

What's included

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• Format 1: Standard Progress Note (150–250 words)

• Format 2: Brief Follow-Up Note (40–80 words)

• Format 3: Crisis and Urgent Note (entered within one hour)

• PEACE domain to note field crosswalk

• Clinical language reference: pastoral phrase to chart language

• Intervention verb bank and spiritual distress rating anchors

• Documentation quality self-audit (12-item checklist)

02

PEACE Spiritual Assessment Template

The domain-based clinical documentation template for hospital chaplains.

Most chaplains walk out of a patient encounter with a clear sense of what happened, but struggle to translate that encounter into a structured clinical note that satisfies their hospital’s documentation requirements. FICA and HOPE help nursing staff identify who needs a chaplain. They don’t tell the chaplain what to document once they’re in the room.

The PEACE Spiritual Assessment Template does. Developed by Rev. Paulette A. McPherson, MA, MDiv, DMin(c), BCC, the template organizes the chaplaincy encounter into the five PEACE domains (Presence, Exploration, Access, Communication, and Ethics) with field-by-field prompts, checkboxes, and space for EHR note construction.

What’s included

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• Full five-domain template with prompts and checkboxes

• EHR adaptation instructions (Epic, Cerner, Meditech)

• Signature and encounter metadata section

• Permission for clinical use within your organization

03

PEACE Spiritual Assessment Quick Reference Card

Single-page clinical reference for badge holders and clipboards.

A condensed version of the PEACE model designed for the point of care. The Quick Reference Card lists the key questions and clinical prompts for each of the five PEACE domains on a single A4/Letter page, small enough to laminate and attach to a badge, detailed enough to guide a complete assessment.

Also includes a Spiritual Distress Indicators section and a PEACE vs. Screening Tools comparison for quick clinical reference.

Designed for:

• Individual chaplains

• Chaplaincy departments

• CPE students

04

Goals of Care Conversation Guide

A clinical framework for chaplains supporting goals-of-care conversations.

Chaplains are increasingly called into goals-of-care conversations, often in crisis situations, without a clear framework for their role. This guide defines the chaplain’s specific contribution to GOC discussions and provides a structured six-step conversation framework:

Includes documentation guidance, pre-conversation preparation steps, and responses to common clinical challenges. The guide’s quick reference table can be printed and laminated as a pocket card.

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1. Open with Presence

2. Understand What They Know

3. Explore What Matters Most

4. Connect Values to Faith and Worldview

5. Address Family Dynamics

6. Close with Summary and Next Step

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Aligned with Joint Commission RI.01.02.01 and NCP Clinical Practice Guidelines Domain 5 (Spiritual, Religious, and Existential).

05

Spiritual Screening vs. Assessment Comparison Guide

The definitive clinical reference for understanding the difference.

Nurses screen. Chaplains assess. But in most hospitals, these two stages of spiritual care are conflated, and the documentation gap falls on the chaplain.

This guide clarifies the clinical distinction between spiritual screening and spiritual assessment, explains what Joint Commission requires at each stage, compares common tools (FICA, HOPE, SPIRIT for screening; PEACE, Spiritual AIM for assessment), and provides a referral pathway from admission to follow-up.

Includes a side-by-side comparison table, Joint Commission standard citations, a tools comparison matrix, and a FAQ section.

06

How to Pass APC Board Certification: The Complete Roadmap

A plain-English walkthrough of the BCC credential, from eligibility to interview.

Board certification through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) is the credential most hospitals look for in a staff chaplain. But the application is dense: eligibility rules, the 8-step application process, 29 competencies, Clinical Contact Narratives, and a committee interview.

This guide walks through every stage in plain English, including how the 29 competencies map to your clinical experience, how to structure your Clinical Contact Narratives, what the committee interview actually assesses, and the most common failure points for first-time applicants.

What’s inside

• Eligibility and prerequisite checklist

• The 8-step application roadmap

• All 29 competencies broken down

• Clinical Contact Narratives structure and examples

• Committee interview preparation

• Common failure points and how to avoid them