Chaplains’ collaboration and leadership in interprofessional healthcare: a scoping review part 2: Influencing factors

Interprofessional collaborative practice is integral to providing spiritual care and whole-person care. As interprofessional spiritual care models continue to evolve, existing research on chaplains' collaboration and leadership remains limited. In Part 2 of a two-part scoping review, we examine the factors that influence chaplains' collaboration and leadership. The review included 53 studies to map the relevant literature. Our analysis identified (a) four key factors: relational factors, the professional chaplain role, attitudes influencing collaboration, and leadership action, and (b) two contextual factors: power dynamics and organizational conditions that provide an embedded environment, dynamically shaping and interacting with facilitators and barriers. Findings provide valuable insights for the effective integration of chaplains in interprofessional practice and illuminate the need for proactive approaches from both chaplains and healthcare systems. Incorporating interprofessional education and shared experiences throughout chaplaincy training and professional development is essential to enhance chaplains' ability to collaborate and lead in interprofessional settings.