Existential care in a pluralistic healthcare context: Hospital Chaplains’ reflections on their practice in supporting patients at risk of suicide

This article examines how hospital chaplains in Norwegian specialist healthcare support patients at risk of suicide, with particular attention to existential care within a pluralistic society. Based on qualitative data from four focus group interviews involving 16 chaplains across somatic and psychiatric units, the study explores how chaplains understand, experience, and reflect on their role in existential conversations. Three main themes emerged: the chaplains' theological and worldview profiles, their openness to diverse worldviews, and the dilemmas they face in balancing professional identity with interdisciplinary expectations. The findings highlight chaplains' capacity to create meaningful, non-judgmental spaces for dialogue, where suffering and hope can be explored. However, the absence of explicitly articulated frameworks may limit their visibility and integration in interdisciplinary care. The study underscores the importance of clarifying the chaplain's role in modern healthcare and developing shared professional language to strengthen existential care for patients in crisis.