Hope in providing spiritual care together: a qualitative study among chronically ill patients, chaplains, general practitioners and nurses

Paying attention to hope, including its counterparts, is part of spiritual care. In this study, we explored how general practice professionals and chaplains provide care for chronic patients’ hope, despair, and hopelessness together. The research was conducted in a home-based care setting in the Netherlands. Based on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews (N = 22) with chaplains (n = 8), general practitioners and general practice nurses (n = 8), and patients (n = 6), we found that (1) general practice professionals and chaplains collaborated by referring patients and by consultations, although collaboration was not a common practice; (2) health and relationships are important topics to understand hope in chronically ill patients; and (3) key elements in hope related care were listening, acknowledging and asking open-ended questions. We conclude that GP(N)s and chaplains should be willing to understand what hope means for themselves, for each other and for their chronic patients, aiming to provide spiritual care together.