Pastoral care representation on the hospital ethics committee.

A recommendation for pastoral care representation on hospital ethics committees (HEC) is commonplace in the literature, but the rationale for this recommendation (and the actual practice) often is assumed or unarticulated. The authors propose a holistic anthropology which acknowledges the bodily, psychological, and spiritual aspects of all persons as a starting point for discussing the reasons for pastoral care representation. The spiritual aspect of the human person is described together with the role of the clinical chaplain on the HEC. The qualifications, skills, and training required for the HEC representative are also provided.