Today I worked with a family that had high anxiety as their loved one was rushed to an emergency procedure to save his life.  I was with them for over 2 hours.  Because of their anxiety they could have benefited from updates on the patient on a more timely basis than was provided.  Each time I noticed they were getting upset by not knowing I went to find out what information I could give them as an update.

What I did many would say was the heart of pastoral care: seeing the need and finding a way to meet it.  I also saw it as service recovery.  Our institution defines service recovery as providing a genuine apology for something that upsets the patient or family and then finding a way to make amends without accepting blame or passing the blame onto another individual or department.  In this encounter the family wanted information.  It did not matter to them who kept them informed as long as someone kept them informed.

So when no one else was fulfilling the role of providing the information they needed, I took steps to provide it for them.  The family may not remember my name in six months, but I know they will remember that the chaplain who was with them offered them information that achieved the goal of lowering their stress level.  For me, that is an excellent lasting memory to leave with anyone under my pastoral care ministry.