Our weekly meeting in Hospice for the staff is titled “Team Meeting”.  It is the only opportunity all week where the nurses, administrators, social worker, medical director and chaplain are in the same place.  We review those patients who have been admitted and those who have been discharged.  We also discuss patients that have a change in condition.  This conversation has the sole goal for us to provide all the appropriate resources available to the patient and family members and/or care-givers.  This week I had two patients that I needed additional consultation on to help me make sense of what I was observing.  This week two staff asked me specific questions on how I handle situations with patients from the perspective of chaplaincy.  I told them the best way to describe me to a patient is, “A companion on the journey who will show empathy and affirmation.”  They were surprised because they would not have on their own chosen those words to describe how I support families and patients.

Being someone who gives affirmation and shows empathy is not something only chaplains are capable of doing.  Most of us have those tools.  The question is how often do we think to use them?  I hope reading this post helps you keep affirmation and empathy at the top of the list of how you support the people you encounter whether you find them as part of your employment or in a leisure setting.