TABLE 3.
Duties of a hospital chaplain (sources [4, 5, 55, 57, 61–64])
| Non-religious activities | Religious activities |
|---|---|
| Initiating, developing and deepening the relationships with patients and their families through conversations, being present, listening attentively, showing compassion, understanding. | Giving the sacraments (in Catholicism) of the Eucharist (holy mass in the chapel, communion at the patient’s bedside), confession, anointment of the sick (the grace of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome difficulties, to lead the sick person to healing of the soul and body) and others. |
| Assessment of spiritual needs, provision of information about the spiritual condition of the patient to other members of the attending team. | |
| Assistance in dealing with emotional pain, spiritual crisis (e.g. in the face of impending death or irreversible disability). | Praying together with the patient/family, prayers for various purposes, e.g. in the chapel, intercession prayers (laying on of hands). |
| Involvement in end-of-life decision-making. | |
| Assistance in summarising one`s life and formulating final instructions. | Preaching, e.g. annual retreat for hospital staff. |
| Support during the mourning period, assistance in arrangements for the funeral. | |
| Communication with caregivers, facilitating communication with the staff, assisting in resolving conflicts. | Speaking with a believer of the same faith, the chaplain can encourage him by reference to relevant spiritual content. For instance, the Catholic Church binds the suffering of every individual to the suffering of Jesus Christ, giving it a salvific value. |
| Mediation between parties, i.e. institutions, patients, family members and staff. | |
| Support of the medical staff by re-discovering the essence of their vocation and preventing burnout. | Affirmation of patients’ beliefs about faith, according to their religion and culture (cannot convert to his religion), provision of religious materials (the Holy Bible, rosary, Torah, Quran etc.) |
| Assistance in solving ethical dilemmas, participation in meetings of the Ethics Committee. | |
| Education on spiritual care. | Build relationships with local religious communities and their leaders on behalf of healthcare organizations. |
| Conducting research in the field of spiritual care. |