Case Study 17 : CHAPLAINCY AND PATIENTS
Challenges
A 34-year-old male cigarette vendor is admitted with chief complaint of abdominal pain. Preliminary examination reveals a mass in the pelvic area. Patient remains conscious and appears to tolerate the pain relatively well. On the day of admission his sister suggests setting an appointment with the hospital Chaplaincy. He answers that although he would feel glad to, no real need exists, as his case is not that serious.
Question
Considering the patient’s response, should his sister still contact the Hospital Chaplaincy?
Solutions
In general, a person who is sick enough to be admitted is encouraged to take advantage of the Chaplaincy services offered by the hospital. The aims of the Chaplaincy can be summed up in the following: to heal, sustain, guide and reconcile.
Healing considers but goes beyond the patients’ physical and psychological concerns. It extends to the ethical and spiritual dimensions of life. Chaplaincy members receive special training in the delicate task of sustaining patients by helping them accept illness, suffering and death. Guiding provides a key task, given that sickness oftentimes provides an opportunity for genuine changes in a person’s life, both when it comes to turning away from bad practices, and in the resolve to improve in the good that one already does. For many, illness also presents an occasion for reconciliation with God and neighbor.
As a standard procedure, the Chaplaincy approaches patients of any religion and asks if they would like to chat a bit. Always respecting each one’s conviction, the Chaplaincy strives not only to assist the patients’ (and in fact, their family’s) growth and quest for fulfillment during their stay in the hospital, but also to equip them to continue that growth once they return to the routine of daily life.
Perhaps the patient’s sister could try to explain the above to him, and encourage him to at least try to greet and converse with the Chaplaincy members.
