Seriously,
you want Chaplains to do what?
The
role of the Chaplain has changed in some hospices nationwide. The reasons
vary, but one of the key reasons is financial. It is more affordable to
have a Chaplain perform certain duties than an RN. For instance, there
are Chaplains who are being directed to pronounce patients. In Florida, I
am told this is perfectly legal. Interesting…
This
raises an ethical conundrum. Just because a Chaplain is legally allowed
to do something, is it the right thing to do in the dynamic of hospice
care? Having attended hundreds of deaths, there were clear-cut roles
defined by hospices I served. The hospice nurse attended the dying
patient, the chaplain attended the grieving family. Somehow, that was a
strategy that worked very well for all involved. The family members
expected the medical issues, including pronouncing, to be the role of the
medical professional, not the spiritual care professional. What exactly
is a hospice trying to accomplish by assigning this medical duty to a
chaplain. If it is to save money, then that is an ethical issue that that
hospice will have to wrestle with. If, as so many hospices trumpet,
patients and families come first, why would any hospice blur the clear
distinctions between the disciplines of medical and spiritual care? And,
further, what are the repercussions on the chaplains who are required to do
this? I cannot answer the first question, but I can answer the
second. In fact, if a spiritual care manager from one of the hospices
requiring pronouncing of its chaplains wants to know, then I suggest they
enquire of their chaplaincy staff. If you still can’t find an answer, let
me share this with you, on a weekly basis I receive calls from Chaplains who do
pronouncements who are concerned they are doing something they are grossly
unqualified to do and thus in their un-comfortability in this task, are seeking
other places of service.
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