Follow Your Calling for Nurturing Others

Our Clinical Pastoral Education program focuses on preparing you to help patients and families feel understood and supported.

Clinical Pastoral Education at Novant Health

Providing compassionate presence, courageous conversation and meaningful connections

The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC, is committed to preparing residents to provide compassionate spiritual care. Our program trains residents in supporting patients and families facing illness, health challenges, and life’s most difficult moments including trauma, grief and loss.

Check Your Application Eligibility

Woman lying in a hospital with team members

Guiding With Comfort And Compassion

We understand that each person comes from a unique cultural and religious background, which is why our training emphasizes guiding our patients and families through times of hardship with support that is sensitive, respectful and inclusive.

Clinical Pastoral Education Overview

The CPE program is a graduate level professional education for interfaith spiritual care, combining theory with practical application. Residents learn the art of providing meaningful and sensitive spiritual care. They gain experience at the bedside complemented by formal classroom instruction, along with reflection, discussion, and evaluation with a small peer group.

Our program is accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).

Robust Learning Experience

Our innovative educational program focuses on patient and self-care using tools including trauma-informed polyvagal theory, application of non-violent communication skills and emergency empathy to understand the body’s response to trauma, how to support healing in others and how to navigate difficult situations with understanding and compassion.
Learn from highly qualified, culturally diverse and experienced ACPE Certified educators.
Practice within an interdisciplinary team setting in a 800+ bed hospital system that includes a Level 1 trauma center, adult ICUs, NICU, PICU, cancer center and behavioral health hospital offering the opportunity to serve a diverse group of patients and families.
Gain support for preparation for Board Certification as a chaplain (BCCi).
Serve in a rapidly expanding coastal market – close to many local beaches – offering southern coastal small town feel with access to big city amenities.

Programs Offered

During the year-long, full-time residency participants will earn three units of ACPE accredited CPE of Level IA, IB, IIA and IIB. Three units of CPE are comprised of 1200 hours of combined structured education and clinical experience.

Residency Program: Level IA and B and IIA and B

The residency program is designed for those seeking:

Further development of personal, spiritual, and pastoral identity.
Development of the ability to provide spiritual care based on spiritual assessment with cultural and spiritual humility.
Development of skill in trauma informed spiritual care and crisis intervention.
Integration of theory, theology, and values-based meaning making orienting systems with the practice of spiritual care.

Residents are assigned to clinical areas where they provide spiritual care to patients, families and staff. They then critically reflect on that work in consultation with the certified ACPE educator, peers, and other professional colleagues. The CPE curriculum includes a variety of methodologies:

Verbatim seminar
Reading seminar
Process Group Interpersonal relationship seminar
Didactic seminars
Creative interactive presentations
Trauma-informed centering practices
Skills practice sessions
Individual supervisory consultations with a certified ACPE Educator

Eligibility & How to Apply

Applicants to our CPE program should have completed a bachelor’s degree. A graduate degree and one unit of ACPE CPE is preferred but not required for enrollment.

Residents accepted on a rolling admission basis.
Residency is a 12-month program beginning mid-August each year.
While there is no application deadline, applications are encouraged early in the year before the August start of the program.
There are no application or tuition fees.

To apply for the Novant Health CPE residency at NHRMC, please visit the ACPE website and use the standard form.

Email your completed application to cpe@novanthealth.org.

Resident Benefits

Residents enjoy a range of benefits designed to support their well-being and professional growth. These include a stipend, which may be partially designated as a housing allowance for eligible participants, free parking, competitive team member benefits, and the opportunity to enroll in a low-cost fitness center membership.

Learn More About Team Member Benefits

Housing Allowance

Free Parking

Team Benefits

Fitness Membership

The landscape of Wilmington Beach at dusk.

A Vibrant Place to Live and Work

Working at New Hanover Regional Medical Center offers the benefit of living on the beautiful NC coast. Wilmington has small town charm with big city amenities.

Accreditation

Accredited by The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education

Wilmington Residency Programs

​​Clinical Pastoral Education at Novant Health​

Providing compassionate presence, courageous conversation and meaningful connections​