Document Type
Articles
Abstract
This article showcases the results of one research question in a multi-question study, specifically, “How do interfaith hospital chaplains perceive themselves leaders or part of the leadership process?” To answer this question, researchers interviewed ten interfaith hospital chaplains and employed interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). The analysis revealed the participants’ views that interfaith hospital chaplains are part of the leadership processes in hospital systems. A significant opportunity exists for chaplains and the healthcare system at large to engage in a more expansive, interdisciplinary understanding of leadership with the work of healthcare chaplaincy at the center of such discourse. This understanding moves beyond mere positional leadership and includes the relational, dialogical, subjective, reflective, and compassionate perspectives of leadership exhibited by interfaith hospital chaplains. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for this broader, more inclusive approach to leadership, as chaplains continue taking on integral roles in supporting both patients and staff during times of crisis.
Recommended Citation
Wooten, Zachary C. and Brown, Jocelyn R.
(2025)
"The Perception of Leader Identity: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Interfaith Hospital Chaplains,"
Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies: Vol. 4, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/ijls/vol4/iss1/3