Research First Journal Club

As part of our work equipping and engaging FCG chaplains to provide safe, high-quality, evidence-based and patient-centred chaplaincy care, the FCG is delighted to be one of the key organisations involved in setting up and running a wide digital journal club called Research First. This journal club, which is open to any chaplain to attend, developed out of a joint venture between the FCG and the College of Healthcare Chaplains and is now supported and promoted by other professional chaplaincy bodies. The journal club provides an opportunity to earn up to 3 CPD points accredited by the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy [One CPD hour for attending the session and one CPD hour each for completing before (part 1) and after (part 2) the session this research article reflection sheet.

Details of the article being discussed will be listed below, included in the Narrative information digest, and circulated to chaplains listed in the FCG directory of health and social are chaplains. If you have questions about the journal club or would like to receive diary invites for the sessions, contact Mark Newitt.

The Journal Club meets towards the end of each month, meeting between 14:00 and 15:15. Details for the coming months are:

• Tuesday 30th September 2025 article TBC

• Wednesday 29th October 2025 exploring Snowden, A., Lobb, E. A., Schmidt, S., Swing, A. M., Logan, P., & Macfarlane, C. (2018). ‘What’s on your mind?’ The only necessary question in spiritual care. Journal for the Study of Spirituality,8(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2018.1431031

• Thursday 27th November 2025 exploring de Wal, L. 2024. The lived experience of non-religious healthcare chaplains entering faith-based healthcare chaplaincy teams. PhD thesis Middlesex University (available at https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/28x463)