Table 3.
Intensive care unit survivors’ responses to an open-ended question about why chaplain-led picture-guided spiritual care is helpful
| “It was very helpful at the time to just reset everything, to gauge where you’re at and where you need to be…” |
| “I’m normally not the most spiritual or if you want to say religious person. The fact that there’s different interventions that are universally comforting—that’s really helpful because you don’t know what kind of patient you have. And I think anyone would take a blessing, even if you’re the most hardcore…” |
| “It’s a relief, a guide for expression.” |
| “It’s more than just a tool; it’s an outlet. You need that.” |
| “A [chaplain visit] is soothing to the patient and family: it’s ok to have all of these feelings, that I can feel serenity from sadness. It gives me permission to feel all this and that that is ok and part of the process of healing. Validation of it being okay to feel how you feel. It’s ok to be upset. Patients want to impress doctors and nurses and they can’t always.” |
| “It gave me more calmness, more acceptance.” |
| “Made me think for sure. With the numbers. How, for example, disappointed or excited I was…. it made me think. Pretty helpful. Especially the feelings page. Made me think about how I felt about being afraid, disappointed. Made me think about my emotions—which was helpful. A lot of times you get overwhelmed by your feelings, especially when you’re sick or in a moment of stress.” |
| “I just felt more at peace” because “I was able to communicate.” |
| “It may not change the physical pain, but it can help to reduce or decrease the pain by relaxing or calming the patient.” |
| It’s helpful “that it even prompts you to think about it all. When you’re lying there in pain and anxiety, it’s difficult to even think.” |
| “The visit from the chaplain is extremely helpful. Talking to a chaplain or a person that has the ability to help give you interior peace and to help you with your fears and frustrations means a lot to anyone and helps you to feel better.” |
Excerpts of responses; all responses from all intensive care unit survivors interviewed are listed in Table E3 in the online supplement.