Medical Services:Spiritual Care Services
An important part of that mission includes recognizing that spiritual care is an integral part of healing and health. To help meet those needs, members of Northwest Community Hospital's Spiritual Care Services Department are available around the clock to provide a variety of services. These services can be accessed by asking any staff member to call for a chaplain, or by asking the hospital operator to page a chaplain (pager number 2010). Who are Chaplains and what can be expected from them?The chaplains of Northwest Community Hospital are clergy and lay people of several faith traditions who have received intensive training in providing ministry in the healthcare setting. Respect for the spiritual or religious preferences of patients and families is a key principle in their practice. Chaplains reach across faith group boundaries and do not proselytize. They have a working knowledge of healthcare and understand the impact illness can have on the emotional and spiritual lives of individuals and their loved ones. Chaplains support patients, families and healthcare professionals to draw on their own religious and spiritual resources to maintain hope, uphold human dignity and address questions of meaning in the face of crisis or chronic suffering. Services Provided:(Click any of the following links to read more)
Presence and Clarifying ConversationBeing in the hospital can be a lonely time for patients and their loved ones. Sometimes people feel disconnected from their sources of comfort, security and guidance. A sense of life’s meaning and purpose can be challenged by changes in one’s health. Chaplains offer support through empathic listening and professional attentiveness to emotional, spiritual and religious implications. Whether or not specific religious practices are used, conversation with a chaplain can assist patients and their loved ones to strengthen their sense of connection, re-evaluate and clarify meaning and purpose, and identify genuine hope that can guide decision-making. Accessing Religious ResourcesA variety of resources are kept in the Spiritual Care Services Department and are available to patients and families through consultation with a chaplain. These include copies of Christian and Jewish scriptures, scripture on tape (in several languages), inspirational reading material, Roman Catholic rosaries, Islamic prayer beads and electric Sabbaths candles for Jewish patients. Consultation with a chaplain can provide assistance in obtaining additional resources beyond those immediately in stock. Space for Prayer and ContemplationTwo spaces within the walls of Northwest Community Hospital have been set aside for religious and spiritual contemplation. Northwest Community Hospital also has designed and dedicated a Renew through Sharing Memorial Garden outside the North Pavilion to honor the memory of infants miscarried or lost in death. The garden is a quiet, peaceful place for families and staff to reflect on the loss of an infant, child or family member.
Prayer and Ritual SupportChaplains are always attentive to the mood and tone of encounters and will inquire about patient and family preferences with respect to prayer. Chaplains are ready to offer prayer and ritual utilizing resources from the faith tradition of the patient and family, create prayer and ritual that meet the unique circumstances faced by the patient, or seek out religious leaders of the tradition of the patient and family for prayer and ritual. Sacramental MinistryRoman Catholic Eucharistic Ministers specially trained to function in the hospital bring Communion to all identified Roman Catholic patients between 10:00 and noon each day (except non-religious national holidays). A Roman Catholic priest is on staff to address other Roman Catholic sacramental needs on a daily basis. Communion is available to non-Catholic Christians upon request. Baptism for infants and children of all Christian traditions is available whenever there is immediate danger to the life of the child. Chaplains will facilitate accessing sacramental or ritual needs of other faith traditions as requested. Consultation with Respect to Medical Decision MakingAs professionals trained in empathic listening, values clarification and religious perspectives, chaplains can be of extraordinary help in a variety of circumstances requiring critical decisions, including:
Consultation and Support Services for Local Religious LeadersClergy parking stickers and identification badges for religious leaders visiting congregants / followers in the hospital are available through the Spiritual Care Services Department, located in Suite 5400 on the 5th Floor of the Busse Center for Specialty Medicine (CSM), labeled Building 1 on the Hospital main campus. You may park in the attached parking garage. Call 847-618-4250. Chaplains are available to help orient religious leaders and commissioned lay visitors to hospital procedures and dynamics. Chaplains can also assist pastoral caregivers from the community to understand the complexities of situations faced by congregants / followers receiving treatment. Professional Training in Pastoral Ministry (Clinical Pastoral Education)These programs offer seminarians, pastoral professionals and those discerning a call to ministry the opportunity to learn in depth about pastoral care and the self in ministry through an action/reflection model of learning. These programs are administered and supervised by a certified professional in the field of pastoral care and education. For more information, contact the Clinical Pastoral Education Coordinator at eswinford@nch.org. Northwest Community Hospital is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc to provide programs of Clinical Pastoral Education (Level I and Level II). The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. is headquartered at 1549 Clairmont Rd. Suite 103, Decatur, GA. 30033-4635 Telephone: 404.320.1472.
Last Updated on 04/03/08 |
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