Medical science has evolved over the centuries. Yet understanding the needs of the ill and injured as a whole being composed of mind, body, and spirit and how to treat the whole person has only been a topic and practice of modern medicine for a couple of decades.
The medical field has labeled this innovative approach to medical dealings as holistic healing. This approach not only considers the physical needs of the individual but the emotional and psychological as well, such as it has been proven beyond a doubt that the attitude of the patient can play a major role in the healing process.
Now treatment involves an entire team of professionals treating all the needs involved in the healing process. Thus, the hospital chaplain has a major role as part of that team.
People tend to have many preconceived notions about chaplains, assuming that all chaplains are priests or ministers, that chaplains want to convert patients to a new religion, or that chaplains sit in a patient's room and pray.
Through short vignettes, Life as a Hospital Chaplain presents the many ways in which the chaplain provides nondenominational support for people with emotional triggers, grief, vulnerability, loss, or change in their lives. As seen in these short stories, the chaplain works in a variety of missions with patients, families, and staff. As you read these stories, you might be encouraged and inspired as well.
The stories revealed here are all actual cases told just as they occurred in the Life as a Hospital Chaplain.