末期疾病照顧理念不同顧他治癒性疾病，安緩和醫療核心理念有四部分： 一、接受死亡：知道死亡是不可避免的，要正視和接受。 二、全人照顧：以症狀控制為優先，提升病人的生活品質、達到善終為目標。善終不應該只有身體的照顧，要以病人為中心考量，依據病人的不同需求，佐以心理、社會和靈性的成長。 三、從基本溝通做起，了解病人的身心痛苦及靈性需求，藉由溝通告知病情讓病人接受死亡，及早做死亡準備，宗教師本著人的善念去關懷、了解病人，協助他們接而能得到善終。 四、團隊合作，其中包括醫師、護理師、心理師、宗教師、社工師、志工等不同領域的專業成員。 本文將「臨床佛教宗教師」定義為：經過臨床培訓，在安寧緩和醫療團隊中參與病人身心社會靈性照顧的法師，是緩和醫療團隊的核心成員之一。本報告就過八年來所發表有關臨床佛教宗教師的論文，針對下列主題整理，來說明靈性定義、照顧架構、臨床照護中與病人的互動模式，進一步對專業靈性照顧中各種臨床課題的介紹以及靈性評估，並以個案報告和臨床服務成果，來彰顯臨床佛教宗教師的角色。

Caring for the terminally ill patients is different from caring for patients with other illnesses. There are our core concepts behind the hospice/palliative care. The first one is to guide patients to accept death, and help them understand that death is only a natural course in life that no living beings can do anything about but face up to and accept. The next is to extend an all-encompassing caring service to patients. Symptom control is top priority so that patients’ living quality can be improved and they can die peacefully at the very end. To die in a state of peace and grace does not refer to only the physical condition of patients. Issues related to other levels, be it mentally, socially, or spiritually, should all be taken into consideration so that patients’ demands can be better met. The third one is to communicate with patients from they very basic level up in order to understand what physical and mental anguish they are suffering and what spiritual needs they might have. Through such communication sessions, patients should be informed of their illnesses and guided to accept death and be prepared for it. Out of the innate kindness of humanity, chaplains extend their loving care to patients, work hard to understand patients; needs, and then help them to die peacefully. The last one is to have a professional team consisting of doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, chaplains, social workers. Volunteers, etc. to provide patient-centered family-focus total care. This report is written based on the theses related to clinical chaplain’s role in the hospice/palliative care released during the past eight years. Included in this report are such subjects as the definition of spiritual care, the framework of caring for patients, as well as the interactive care model between chaplains and patients. Through the discussion of these subjects, several other clinical issues and the evaluation of patients’ spiritual condition that fall under the umbrella of professional spiritual care are also introduced. The role of clinical Buddhist chaplains is also exemplified through the introduction of case report and studies of clinical services.