askthedoctor I Body, Mind, Spirit
Recovery and health involve the interrelation- ship of body, mind, and spirit. By assisting pa- tients with their spiritual needs, hospital chaplains support their physical well-being. Hospitals don’t charge for chaplain services.
54 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2017 Spiritual Care Chaplains, sometimes called spiritual care providers, have
become part of the patient care team in many hospitals. Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, D.O., discusses their role.
In a hospital setting, the focus usu- ally is on the physical aspects of care.
But, recognizing the role spiritual health plays in the overall treatment and recovery process, standard practice at most hospitals is for a chaplain to visit each inpatient or to have a chaplain available at patient request. As part of the patient care team, a hospital chaplain helps the patient, and sometimes family members, cope with the stress of their situation. Chaplains are able to assist with grief and loss and recognize spiritual i issues that might impede reco ery. Man
demonstrated connection to a recognized religious community or are endorsed by a faith group, their work refl ects a sensitivity to multicultural and multifaith realities. It would be unethical for a chaplain to prose- lytize or try to convert a patient to a specif- ic religious denomination or faith practice. If a patient requests a chaplain of a
ssues that might impede recovery. Many patients ask a chaplain to pray with them. Chaplains can help patients cope with serious illness and develop a more fulfi lling understanding of life, death, and purpose and work with both patients and family members to address emotional and spiritual challenges accompanying serious illness. They can participate in prayer, reading of holy texts, and other activities and discuss a range of treatment issues and decisions, in- cluding those related to end-of-life care, and incorporate members of the medical team or clergy of the patient’s faith as needed. Beyond their responsibilities to pa-
tients, chaplains can provide spiritual as- sistance and ethical guidance to hospital staff and educate them on the relationship between physical and spiritual healing. They also might serve on ethics commit- tees and institutional review boards. Professional chaplains are theologically and clinically trained and certifi ed; many are ordained clergy. Though they have a
specifi c faith — e.g. a Catholic priest to ad- minister the sacraments or a rabbi for the Vidui (confession) — the chaplain will try to identify one to visit the patient. Patients also may request a chaplain notify their home place of worship about their hospi- talization. However, regardless of his or her specifi c faith tradition, a hospital chap- lain can help patients of various faiths. Patients might be concerned about confi - dentiality and wonder whether discussions with a chaplain are shared with the medical team, family members, or others. In gen- eral, interactions are confi dential, though a chaplain might write a brief note in the pa- tient’s medical chart or suggest a referral to additional resources. With some exceptions (e.g., what a Catholic priest hears during the sacrament of penance), chaplains might be required to report serious issues such as danger to the patient or others.
MO
— Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS (Ret), D.O., M.A., is a health care consultant in Chevy Chase, Md. Also contributing to this column were Rabbi Avis Miller of Chevy Chase, Md., and Father Robert Buchmeier, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Garrett Park, Md. For submis- sion information, see page 4.
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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