36440 -2-Pages soonest
ESSAY I
INTRODUCTION
This is my subsequent appearance to receive my board certification status from the Association of Professional Chaplain. During the first appearance, the following observations were made as for what PRO 3 competency was not met: “We would like to see more understanding of building relationship with peers and co-workers in the institutional setting specified your role, developing and initiating a variety of strategies. Consider raising your self-awareness in what draws people to you and what may put them off.”
SECTION IV: PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
PRO 3: Understanding organizational culture and structures and structural relationships
My role and daily functions as a VNA hospice chaplain are to adhere to the organization’s culture and systems, and to build relationships with peers and co-workers. Thus, this section is divided into two major parts as I strive to describe (A) my role to the organization’s culture and system and (B) describing strategies to build relationship with peers and co-workers.
A. My role Toward an Understanding of institutional culture and systems
Culture is among the core values espoused in the Chaplaincy code of ethics. The code stipulates that a chaplain should manifest values of integrity, devotion, competence, and respect to represent cultural commitment. I always endeavor to be honest, give the best services, and treat others well anywhere, anytime. It is my responsibility to exercise these values to enhance culture that promotes success, joy, and efficiency. People who join chaplains get influence from these culture that they find hence all in a position to do the right things always. In addition, the chaplains have the culture of remaining connected to respective endorsers. For instance, regular contacts with the endorser and as such will never be in a position to do what is against the endorser (Cooper et al, 2010). VNA Health Group has long been recognized as a culturally diverse agency that focus on special needs to help terminally ill patients achieving the highest quality of life. Through a holistic and cultural approach, our compliant compassionate hospice team addresses physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs in the comfortable surroundings of home, family and friends:
1 I support the organization’s mission by striving for excellence in all aspects of their job with on focus on positive interpersonal relationship with co-workers.
2 I assist the Interdisciplinary Care Team in evaluating and assessing patient/care spiritual needs.
3 I commit to visit patients, with a life-limiting illness and their families, provides direct spiritual counsel, prayer and ritual/sacramental ministry if desired.
4 I strive to make direct contact with clergy for patients and/or families who need assistance in contacting a clergy person.
5 I conduct memorial/funeral services for those families not affiliated with a church and who desire the chaplain's participation.
6 I participate in developing the Interdisciplinary Care Plan both as a consultant and as a provider of direct services.
7 I assist members of the Interdisciplinary Care Team to understand the significant spiritual concerns related to the patient/family response to dying.
8 I participate on the bereavement team in providing follow up services and counseling.
9 I assist in developing and providing educational and public relations programs for staff, general community, and clergy community.
10 I maintain contact with appropriate seminary, education and pastoral care groups for self-education and support.
B. Toward an Understanding of institutional systemic relationships
We would like to see more understanding of building relationship with peers and co-workers in the institutional setting specified your role, developing and initiating a variety of strategies..”
My role as a chaplain is also to provide spiritual care to my staff and co-workers. During the past two years, I have developed and initiated a variety of strategies to better communicate with my co-workers and peers. Consider raising your self-awareness in what draws people to you and what may put them off First of all, I would like to address what may put people off. I recognize that I am a foreigner with a heavy French accent. I think my accent and my writing style may have put people off. Therefore, I do my best to articulate well and to send short emails as possible. What I can consider will draw people to me is the fact that I am a man of the clergy. I have realized that many of my staff and co-workers give me respect when they see me.
I have developed several strategies to work build relationship with my peer and co-workers.
1. Call out sick supporting emails
Every day the hospice manager sends out a list of staff who are absent or call sick. I use this platform to reply in that same email to reach out to each co-workers on a separate email that I wish them well and safe recovery or encouraging spiritual reflections to some co-workers. This strategy has been useful to many of my co-workers as they, in return, expressed gratitude for thinking about them while they were off or call out sick. Here is an example of a working conversation to build relationship with a devoted music therapist who calls out sick.
Music Therapist 1: Hi Team, I'm afraid I'm also sick so I'm staying home today.
Thank you
Chaplain 1: wishing you well and safe recovery. Have a nice day of rest. Please do me a favor put all singing, music sheets and instruments away today.....blessings
Chaplain 2: You are welcome.....be blessed. hope you feel better today
2. VNA Recognition Award
The VNA hospice has a platform where co-workers can send recognition to each other for doing something extraordinary or when co-worker goes above and beyond in their scope of work. The platform is called VNA Award and Recognition Program. Where any co-worker can give an Oscar Star to each other. So, I make use this platform as a pastoral care strategy on a monthly basis to recognize or to submit an award nomination to one of my co-workers. I usually endorse their hard work, hospitality, honesty, outstanding service geared toward our patients and their families. Ever since my last appearance, I have sent a total of eighteen recognition awards to my peers and co-workers and the reply through email has always been positive. Here is a message that I recently sent to one of our Home Health Aides: I really appreciate the amazing work you do every day that positively impacts our patients and their families. I just learned of a compliment that came in praising the care you provided. Thank you!
3. Pastoral Phone Call
Since my scope of work is most spend in the field. I often worked independently. I barely came across my peers and co-workers if we don’t have staff meeting. Therefore, I create a strategy to provide pastoral care once a month to one of my co-workers just to let them know and remind them that I am also responsible to provide pastoral care and spiritual support to them as well. This strategy has always been useful and sometimes I have co-workers who would to have lunched with me and sit and talk about their spiritual journey.
4. Open-Ear to staff
As a chaplain, I also serve as a spiritual listener to my co-workers. Each time we have staff meeting and/or after each IDG meeting, I devote 1 hour to whomever wants to talk to the chaplain. This strategy has been very useful where some HHA and nurses have received some spiritual support and comfort me as I served as a spiritual listener to them.
5. Preceptorship
For the past year, I have asked my manager to use me to serve as preceptor. This task is to train new employees and volunteer about the work of the chaplain. It is the custom of the organization whenever a new employee or volunteer comes on board to shadow a chaplain to know what a chaplain does. Therefore, I told my manager to think about me if she has any new employee coming onboard to shadow a chaplain.
These strategies have allowed me to establish strong building relationship with my co-workers. Some of them have reached out to me to perform their weddings, renew of vows, bless their homes, and to officiate funeral services for their families. Since ten months ago, I have developed new skills and strategies to identify some of my co-workers with their skills work. Therefore, I came up with some name attributes to some of them.
1. Angel RN. I call this nurse angel because one of our patients’ family has testified that this nurse has been an angel to his father. Since then I have called her angel RN. She worked on week-end and on calls. She often sings praising to me that I always send words of encouragement to her when she needs it the most.
2. Tiger RN. One of our night shift nurses work so hard on admitting patients. She lives far from her work place but she manages to be around when she is on call. She has a super energy and always on the road to assist patients. Therefore, I call her our Tiger RN and recognize her hard work among our peers when we have staff meeting.
3. Flying RN. This nurse is the youngest among all of us. She is always on the run. She works very fast and proficiently covered many patients. She is well liked and appreciated by many.
4. Spirit-Filled RN. This is one of our newest RN. As we went out to do couple joint visits with me, I have heard family members testify that she is a spirit-filled RN, she is very compassionate and has a gentle spirit in her. I told her many praises that this family has stated on her behalf and I have nominated her the spirit-filled RN of VNA.
1