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Monday, April 12, 2021
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Rev. Eric J. Hall, President and CEO
Mr. Michael Schoen, Chairman of the Board
Spiritual Care Association and Westberg Institute
Plenary Accelerating Change: The Emerged Future of Spiritual Care
Rev. Kevin Massey
Vice President, Mission and Spiritual Care, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Rev. Kevin Massey has long been associated with predicting and proposing paradigmatic change in the field of health care chaplaincy. In this presentation, Rev. Massey will describe how the long-predicted changes have accelerated into unpredictable new realities which promise exciting future directions for health care chaplaincy.
Keynote Address
Has COVID Made Us Better Caregivers?
Donna E. Shalala, PhD
President Emeritus, University of Miami
Trustee Professor, Herbert Business School and Dept. of Political Science
A1. Bulding Relationships During a Pandemic: How One Health Care System Used Technology to Provide Compassionate Care to their Community
Cindy Newman, RN, MSHEP
Julie Wallace, MS,
Wellstar Health System
This workshop reflects the collaboration and interdisciplinary work between faith community nurses, community clergy, and hospital chaplains to provide compassionate care to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses strategies for improving communication between the health care system and community clergy along with setting up pop-up sites at faith communities to meet the needs of the Black and brown communities who were hardest hit. Monthly community briefings provided education and strengthened relationships with community clergy.
A2. Sustainable Approaches to Leverage Technology and Build Capacity
Michelle Moseley, MA, CHES, University of California, San Francisco
Marion Harris, RN, BSN, PHN MSN, MEd, Samuel Merrit University
The historic, rapidly expanding COVID-19 pandemic led to stay home orders and public health practices such as hand washing, face coverings, physical distancing, and quarantining to slow the spread and save lives. Technology that involves the use of the internet, smart phones, and other devices played an important role as the go-to resource, catalyst for innovation, increased access to communications, and community engagement for health and wellness. This workshop features novel approaches and strategies for using technology for hands-only CPR training, health ministries symposium, COVID-19 communications via website, email and telephone, online health education session, mobilizing community for COVID-19 testing, and contact tracing as part of faith community nursing spiritual care practice through local and regional health ministries.
A3. The Efficacy of Mindfulness Methods for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
Don Oyao, BCC, Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation
This workshop reflects the collaborative and interdisciplinary work with spiritual care providers and medical practitioners in the neuroscience of spirituality, known as neurotheology, to train medical practitioners and spiritual caregivers in the science of mindfulness and the emergence of neurotheology. Mindfulness meditation methods are shown to address and improve various medical and psychological difficulties particularly post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). The integration of science and spirituality does broaden the scope of consciousness experience to address the relationship between neuroscience and mindfulness. Mindfulness as a meditation practice can involve neurosomatic stretching, eye movements, breath-control techniques, and prayer. This research study presents arguments in support of the idea that mindfulness practices can catalyze and stimulate neuroplasticity in individuals living with PTSD. An integrative examination of neuroscience behind PTSD and mindfulness practices demonstrates the effectiveness of meditation practices as a treatment for PTSD.
A5. The Clinical Chaplain Value in the Healthcare Setting is Awarded
Anthony Andrews, BCC, BCCC, Diplomate
The task of the clinical chaplain is to remove barriers to the plan of care so the medical team can provide medical care and the patient can receive good health outcomes Amid general anxiety of the value the clinical chaplain brings to the health care setting, this workshop provides a concrete integration approach to clinical chaplaincy by identifying how clinical chaplaincy fits within the “task” of the health care institution, how it can make and affect impact on institution goals and metrics, and the deployment of the model.. The session provides an overview of how this new model was created and how it meets both patient and institutional needs and its deployment in three hospitals in a 23-hospital system.
A6. Social Media vs. Social Distance: Caring for Wounded Hearts During a Pandemic
Karen McWilliams, BSN, RN, CFCS, FCN
Karen Wenger, MS, RN, FCN
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The COVID-19 pandemic has eclipsed many chronic health and social issues, including the issue of addiction. This presentation addresses the challenges of COVID-19 and the role social distancing has played in ministering to individuals and their loved ones who struggle with substance use disorder. This workshop demonstrates the transition of a prayer-based community of support for persons impacted by addiction from an in-person to a remote venue necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a discussion of a variety of technological options. Facilitators demonstrate how they managed to provide continued support for those who regularly gathered and offered virtual outreach to others who would otherwise not feel comfortable attending. The session includes resources and examples of social media options and steps in the process to transition from physical gatherings to remote ministry.
B1. Faith Community Nurses and Telehealth: Future Considerations
P. Ann Solari-Twadell, PhD, MPA, RN, FAAN
Loyola University Chicago
Telehealth is not foreign to faith community nurses as the phone has been used to remain connected with clients since the beginning of this specialty nursing practice. However, COVID-19 has changed the landscape of telehealth. The session provides a limited history of telehealth, its uses prior to COVID-19, application to faith community nursing prior to COVID-19 before discussing definitions of telehealth and telemedicine, in addition to the benefits and barriers to patients and providers. The workshop also covers telehealth resources introduced that relate to HIPPA, consent, recording and documentation and related to federal rules in place before COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 telehealth practice and rules that are currently being waived to better service clients.
B2. Laughter: A Funny Path to Compassionate Care
Lucy Tormoehlen, RN, MSN, EdD
Laughter is not the first tool one might use in giving spiritual care, but it can be a very rewarding one for both the person receiving care and the caregiver. It takes careful assessment and strategically applying little gestures and sayings that brighten the spirit and boost good feelings. The physical benefits of laughter and humor have been documented many times. Laughter reduces stress hormones, increases the good cholesterol, drops blood pressure, and relaxes muscles. Well-directed laughter can lighten a person’s mood and boost the function of the immune system, even in the midst of pain and sorrow. This workshop aims to help participants know when and how to use laughter.
B3. Wellness for Warriors
Kerry Miller, Cox Health
Amy Cruise, MS, ATC, PES, Cox Health
Bryan Mason, MDiv, Cox Health
Wellness for Warriors serves current military, veterans, first responders, and their families through peer support services, and holistic wellness training. This workshop addresses current issues and concerns for military and veterans and the challenges first responders and their family members face by providing vital statistics about the needs for holistic wellness and information on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual education for this particular population.
B5. The Impact of Integrating Spiritual Leadership Theory on the Well-Being and Job Satisfaction of Nurse Managers
Rebekah Wagner, BCC, APBCC, Owensboro Health Regional Hospital
As the world of health care has changed and pressures have mounted on frontline staff, especially nurses, burnout has risen and job satisfaction has declined. Would training and spiritual direction in spiritual leadership theory as a leadership model improve these measures? This doctoral project sought to answer this question. This session shares the research, the results, and next steps to the collaborative approach to supporting nursing leaders in hospitals. As chaplains seek new ways to integrate spirituality, this program uses spiritual practices and direction to provide staff support in new ways for nurses who wish to have another approach to leadership that may be more life-giving to them and their team members.
B7. Pulling Back the Curtain on Certification
George Handzo, BCC, APBCC, CSSBB, Director, Credentialing and Certification HealthCare Chaplaincy Network
Board certification is increasingly required as a condition of employment for any chaplain job in health care. However, which association to pick and how to navigate the process can be daunting. Misinformation abounds, and requirements seem to change almost daily. Led by the former chair of certification and president of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and current director of credentialing and certification for the Spiritual Care Association (SCA), the workshop discusses the commonalities of board certification broadly but focuses on APC and SCA.
World Forum
Helen Wordsworth, RN, RHV (tutor), RNT, MTh, DMin,
Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing
Anne van Loon, RN, MN, PhD, Consultant in Health, Wellbeing and Ageing,
Australian Faith Community Nursing Association and Baptist Care
Faith community nurses are present in about 33 countries worldwide. Some of these have developed their own contextual versions of the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing curriculum and are multiplying their ministry. Others remain working as parish nurses or faith community nurses in localized area. This session examines the barriers faced in developing faith community nursing in Australia in order to enable other countries to apply the learning experienced in overcoming them. It also focuses on the ways in which technology can help faith community nurses address the additional challenges brought by COVID-19.
First Responders
First Responder Plenary Disaster Chaplaincy for the 21st Century
Kevin Smith, CEM President & CEO Rule One Consulting
Since 9-11-01, emergency managers around the globe have turned to local faith leaders and mental health organizations to fill the void for the immediate and long-term care of survivors and emergency responders. The need for the nation to come together to develop minimum standards, share best practices and elevate relevant training has never been greater. Mr. Smith will present a “How it Started, How it’s Going” analysis while presenting a 21st Century approach to “Where it’s Headed” and how attendees can be a part of the movement forward. Learning Objectives:
- A Historical Discussion of Disaster Chaplaincy
- Review of Best Practices & Important Case Studies
- Development of Minimum Standards
- Implementation of ICS
- Inter-jurisdictional Approach
FRCD Workshop: Building a Statewide Disaster Chaplain Response Network
Mindi Russell, Fellow Senior Chaplain
Executive Director
Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Sacramento (LECS)
Collaborations, Partnerships, Relationships, and Networking are when a group of people come together and contribute their expertise for the benefit of a shared objective, project, or mission. They are also the process of group work. But it is also a learned skill. Collaboration, Partnerships, Relationships, and Networking are quite common in the professional world, but not as developed in nonprofit organizations, including Chaplain Programs. This class will help you see why Collaborations, Partnerships, Relationships, and Networking are valuable and worth the Risks. This class will examine the “risks” taken in Collaboration, Partnerships, Relationships, and Networking endeavors. We will discuss why Chaplain Programs tend to be more “territorial” and resist “mutual aid”. Demonstrating best practice policies, procedures, and letters of understandings help support integrity in each Chaplaincy that comes to the table to assist each other. How well you develop Collaborations, Partnerships, Relationships, and Networking with others, will greatly impact the outcome of the group responding together. This class will also review the California Chaplain Corps, working statewide disaster/law enforcement chaplain response team that contracts and pays mutual active chaplains under one banner. Inspiring and achievable for others as well.
FRCD Workshop: The 3 R’s of Critical Incidents and Cumulative Stress
Kelly Jones, LCSW, CCISM
This workshop will support chaplains, first responders and mental health workers in effort to respond to critical events or effects of trauma and cumulative stress. The presenter will address Resistance, Resilience and Recovery before, during and after critical events or in response to exposure to trauma or cumulative stress.
FRCD Workshop: QPR – Suicide Prevention for First Responders
Govan Martin, Suicide Prevention for Chaplains in the First Responder Field
This presentation consists of how to apply Suicide Prevention techniques through QPR (Question Persuade Refer). QPR is not intended to be a form of counseling or treatment but is intended to offer hope through positive action. QPR is also intended to help you recognize the warning signs, clues, and suicidal communications of people in trouble and to act vigorously to prevent a possible tragedy. Question, Persuade, and Refer are three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. This session covers risk factors for suicide prevention, behavioral clues, situational clues, and how you can save a life by asking the question, persuading someone to get help, and referring to the proper resource.
FRCD Workshop: Going Beyond the Call-in Mental Health Fitness
Deidre von Krauskopf, BA, PMP, PPM, CCMP, CPT-2
Sean Wyman, Former Military Special Operator
Note: This is a 4-hour workshop for First Responders. After attending both parts, GBTC will issue a Certificate of Completion. Breaks will be given accordingly.
Going Beyond the call provides awareness, prevention, mitigation and tactics to combat the mental ambush of high stress careers. Delivered from a psychological, physiological and relationships perspective sharing preparation and recovery for psychological injury through to PTSD and suicidal prevention. This workshop will focus on Trauma informed care responsiveness and management for psychological injuries, compassion fatigue and suicide prevention for Chaplains and Nurses to better manage their own mental fitness as well as the public safety professionals they serve.
FRCD Workshop:The LE Spouse Academy: Equipping the Profession’s Early Warning System
Jim Bontrager, Diplomate Credentials, ICPC
Please note: the time difference for this First Responder workshop
Law Enforcement suicides and fractured relationships continue at an alarming rate. 32% of all police suicides involve relationships (Violante 2005). Challenges to reducing their numbers include a lack of trust by the profession, the reactive nature of the job and the resulting tendency to wait till there’s a major problem before addressing it. Enter the law enforcement spouse/significant other. Properly educated, these trusted allies can gain a knowledge of the unique stresses that plague their loved ones, learn mitigation strategies to help and become the “canaries in the mine” to call in backup should the need arise … BEFORE a major crisis develops. This course will provide you with the tools and process to conduct a Spouse Academy.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Advocacy Update
Mr. Todd Tuten Senior Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
The Helen Westberg Memorial Lecture
Providing Grief Support Using Technologies
Susan Jacob, PhD, RN
Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Faith community nurses and chaplains often are not aware of grief support resources that use technologies. During the COVID-19 pandemic it became essential that support and resources be provided virtually. This presentation discusses case studies, techniques, and resources for providing grief support using technology including suggestions on using Granger Westberg’s text Good Grief.
Plenary From Health Care to Trauma to Health Care Trust: Spiritual Care for African Americans in the Face Medical Apartheid
Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhuro, ACPE Certified Educator
Advocate Aurora Health Care
Why don’t some African American patients trust their medical doctor? This plenary session explores prominent racialized events in the history of America’s health care field that have created a psychology of distrust among some African American persons. Participants also learn how current systemic social conditions, grounded in oppression, contribute to racial disparities in the health care profession along with spiritual care strategies for rebuilding trust among African American healthcare patients.
Anne Marie Djupe Memorial Plenary
Evolution of Faith Community Nursing: Challenges to Opportunities
Katora Campbell, RN-BC, MSN, Dr.PH
Deborah L. Paterson, MDiv, MHA, DMin
P. Ann Solari Twadell, RN, MPA, PhD, FANN
Faith community nurses operate within the context of influential factors that impact their individual practice as well as the overall faith community nursing specialty. Key factors include technology, the health care system, the nursing profession, and the nature of their own community practice setting. The presentation considers the role of faith community nurses and Westberg Institute in light of past experiences and how we can learn from and help shape the future of faith community nursing. This session addresses past challenges to inspire today’s FCNs toward the future as well as guide Westberg Institute as the practice moves forward.
C1. Using Technology to Inspire More Faith Groups to Appoint a Faith Community Nurse
Helen Wordsworth, RN, RHV (Tutor), RNT, MTh, DMin
International Parish Nurse Specialist, Church Health
One outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that faith leaders and groups have become more aware of the need to engage with health issues. This workshop demonstrates a new digital tool developed to stimulate interest in congregations to appoint faith community nurses. The demonstration takes place in the context of a discussion on communicating the value of faith community nursing with faith groups that do not yet have a nurse on their leadership teams. The new tool promotes the practice, and participants have the opportunity to discuss how faith leaders and congregations might receive it and contribute to improvements before the tool is widely available for use. International participants will be able to translate the commentary and contextualize the tool for their own language groups.
C2. Advance Care Planning in Faith Communities
Lorie Hacker, RN, NP-C, CNE, MSNEd
Jan Erlenbaugh-Gaddis, BSN, RN-BC Franciscan Health
Advance care planning (ACP) is an important aspect of care for adults. ACP improves patient outcomes by increasing clinician understanding of patient wishes, reducing hospitalizations and aggressive care at the end of life, increasing use of hospice programs and increasing patient satisfaction with care provided. Ninety-two percent of people indicate that having a conversation regarding end-of-life care is important; however only 32 percent have had this conversation. Faith communities play an important role in shaping social issues and values surrounding end-of-life care and can help to overcome barriers to health promotion in many cultures. Effective screening and prevention are key to determine individual treatment preferences to improve quality of life. This workshop focuses on the importance and implications of ACP in faith communities and assists the faith community nurse in practical application of ACP outreach.
C3. Neurologic Illness – Making Caregiving Sustainable
Judith Long
Learn about some of the conditions that commonly accompany neurologic illness as well as several effective practices for providing spiritual care. We will also consider the role of telehealth with this population including novel online resiliency classes for patients and for caregivers.
C4. Understanding the Spiritual and Emotional Needs of Siblings of Chronologically Sick Children with a Rare Disease
Paul Nash, MA, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Siblings of chronically sick children are at risk of adverse outcomes if needs are not recognized and met. Having a chronically unwell sibling negatively impacts global well-being, and their emotional and spiritual development. This workshop presents data from a normed and widely used questionnaire (Kidscreen 52) along with insights from interviews and focus groups on the spiritual and emotional needs of siblings of chronically sick children with a rare disease. The key needs have been summarized in a short accessible video using the words of siblings themselves that can be used for spiritual care training.
C5. Latin America: Experiences and Challenges of Professional Chaplaincy
Rev. Jorge Espinel, Palliative Care Chaplain Centro Medico Imabanaco Cali, Columbia
* This Workshop Will be Offered in Spanish. En este taller compartiremos una perspectiva del estado actual del cuidado espiritual en clínica en Latinoamérica. Exploraremos los principales desafíos que enfrenta para su inclusión en el contexto clínico y la relevancia de estas experiencias para el cuidado espiritual de la población latina en los Estados Unidos. Este taller será en Español. In this workshop, we will explore the perspectives and realities of the current situation of professional healthcare chaplaincy in Latin America. We will examine the challenges to implementing spiritual care in the clinical context and the relevance of these experiences for the spiritual care of the Latinx community in the United States. The workshop will be in Spanish.
C7. Virtual Spiritual Care
Jean Montgomery, RN, PhD (c), MSN, CNE, CNL
Clinical Nurse Leader
Texas Health Resources
Spirituality centers around what gives life meaning and purpose, and it provides a strong source of strength. It is present in people of all faith traditions as well as in those with no professed faith. Talking with patients in the hospital and helping them identify or affirm their sources of meaning, purpose, and strength is part of the healing process. Coordinating and providing spiritual care in the era of COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges. Technology aids in the ability to assess and address each patient’s spiritual needs. This presentation highlights best practices to improve the spiritual health of the people in the communities Texas Health Resources serves and lessons learned in the delivery of high-quality virtual patient and family spiritual care.
D1. Faith Community Nursing and Collegiate Affiliation: Preparing for the Future and Ministering in the Present
Beth Gotwals, RN, PhD, Moravian College
Deborah Bartholomew, RN, Parish Nurse Coalition of the Greater Lehigh Valley
The work of a local FCN coalition, which began over two decades ago, recognized the importance of academic connections in meeting its mission and vision for faith community practice in the local area. Additionally, local nursing curriculums have recognized the importance of community health nursing and the practice of faith community nursing in preparation of future members of the nursing profession. This presentation reflects on a 20-year coalition-academic connection and its impact on FCNs, population health, and nursing education. The session shares strategies for developing these connections.
D2. Hospice Chaplains Using Symbolism in Spirituality Caring for Patients Living with End-Stage Dementia
Kevin Wardlaw, MA, MDiv, PhD
Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care
This workshop sheds light on practical theological understandings in developing best practices for hospice chaplains using symbolism in spiritually caring for patients living with end-stage dementia by exploring two research questions: What are best practices for hospice chaplains using Christian symbols with dementia patients? And, What do hospice chaplains learn from using Christian symbols with dementia patients? Hospice dementia patients generally cannot verbalize more than six-word sentences or engage in “meaningful” conversations. Analyzing the interview data from hospice chaplains, the presenter explore the themes that emerged during the chaplains’ use of symbols in order to provide understandings of their best practices and discoveries which may guide future research.
D3. Understanding Self-Compassion for the Prevision of Quality Hospice and Palliative Spiritual Care
Charles James Parker, MDiv, EdD, APBCC-HPC
This workshop will provide the essential tools for treating oneself in a kind, compassionate way whenever spiritual caregivers suffer, perceive themselves to fail, or feel inadequate. This workshop is designed to showcase the intentional actions needed for combating burnout and compassion fatigue for spiritual caregivers and their interdisciplinary teams who regularly serve terminally-ill patients and their families.
D4. Integrating Virtual Spiritual Care Into the Patient Experience Continuum
Justin Martin, BCC, MDiv
Mercy Virtual
This workshop reflects the integration of virtual spiritual care in ambulatory care models with case studies from Mercy Virtual and strategies for collaboration between traditional ambulatory care models and virtual spiritual care. Health care has evolved a great deal over the last several years with the adaptation of electronics medical records, technological platforms, and broader societal norms. Mercy Virtual has leveraged technology and traditional spiritual care to further provide excellent holistic care in the ambulatory setting. Mercy Virtual is the first virtual care center and is often described as a “hospital without beds” that intentionally had spiritual care as the core of it visionary care. A core component of this workshop will be to demystify the language of virtual care and to create a shared vocabulary that will allow all providers to begin healthy dialogue about virtual spiritual care.
D5. Dreams as Spiritual Glimpses, Guides, and Gifts
Patsy Fortney, CC
Central Vermont Medical Center
Throughout history and across cultures and religions, dreams have been considered important, even divine, messages offering guidance, support, and comfort. Regardless of religious or spiritual beliefs, many people believe their dreams are meaningful and helpful. Chaplains and other care providers are well placed to explore dreams as a vehicle for eliciting feelings, promoting self-reflection, and enhancing spiritual understanding. In this workshop, participants will learn simple tools for addressing patients’ dreams, as well as their own, and also how dreams have been understood historically up to the present day. They will also have opportunity to consider how their own dreams might serve as guides in their personal and professional lives, thereby contributing to resilience.
D6. Efficient and Effective Technology-Based Ministry for Improving the Quality of Life for Cancer Patients and Caregivers
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
E1. Connecting Through Deep Listening
Clare Biedenharn, DMin, BCC
Your Listening Partner
The COVID-19 crisis has strained all facets of health care, and creative solutions to problems have emerged. A hospital study with critical care nurses indicated that intentional use of a proven and effective listening model positively impacted both patient and nurse. Based on the Quaker clearness committee model, the method is organic and can be incorporated into a nurse’s current practice. Deep connection leads to better care as patient and nurse connect in what some refer to as the sacred space of the bedside. The workshop introduces this model as an effective method of care that has proven to be satisfying to nurses as they take a fresh approach to their role as servant leaders.
E2. Technology Can Hold a Human Torch
Saundra Brown, MSN-ED, RN-BC
Texas Health Resources
It is not uncommon to avoid what we do not understand. Most of us have never used our smart phones beyond the basic phone feature, Facebook, and a game we like. Some of us still use flip phones because we hate change. This workshop will discuss types and levels of technology, and how we can embrace what we have with our ministry. God embraces us where we are, and our success is because of God and not the technology we are using. Because of the pandemic, society is finding new footing and therefore the need to embrace a new relationship with technology that we use the most in order to serve while social distancing. We should not feel paralyzed in our ability to make a difference because we fear technology and do not want to learn a fancy program. This workshop discusses options available, limitations we face, and that at the end of the day, it is the effort of human contact that makes our ministry successful.
E3. Difficult Conversations: End-of-Life Palliative and Hospice Care
Katherine Perry, BCC, MA, BBA, RN
This presentation speaks to respectful conversation about alternatives to surgery and primary medical care at end of life. When adopted and embraced it gives patients and families the gift of time for critical business and conversations. This workshop takes the audience through the barriers to speaking frankly with patients at end of life through the “Serious Illness Conversation Guide” and gives practical understanding. It also names the futile care cycles facing many major medical systems in emergency and surgical care when providers avoid addressing this topic in a clearly proactive manner. The session addresses palliative care and hospice alternatives as quality of end-of-life care and raises the bars on end-of-life care alternatives.
E4. Introducing Chaplaincy Guided by Religiously Informed, Relationally Skillful Chaplaincy Theory
Judith Ragsdale, MDiv, PhD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Research on the impact religion and spirituality have on health care is extensive. Translating research to practice may be guided by the use of an evidence-based theory. Religiously Informed, Relationally Skillful Chaplaincy Theory (RIRSCT) takes selected research studies on religion and spirituality in health care and selected chaplaincy research studies and combines them with the relational skills of professionally educated chaplains. This workshop demonstrates the impact of chaplaincy guided by RIRSCT on patient care, the patient experience, and the interdisciplinary team. Chaplains trained in the RIRSCT approach can explore and translate to the team how patients, families, and religious leaders actually translate their faith to the health care context in very personal, particular ways. The session features vignettes, spiritual screening and assessment models, and a narrative charting model based on RIRSCT.
E5. I’ll Have it God’s Way
Hattie Bryant, Author
I’ll Have it God’s Way My Golden Rules
Why do Christians have as much trouble dying with dignity and ease as non-Christians? What can be done to change this? This study offers solutions. I’ll Have It God’s Way is a Bible study designed for six weekly sessions in a congregational setting. The author delivers a train-the-trainer session for nurses, physicians, and social workers on the topic of advance care planning for Christians. Research is clear that physicians have difficulty discussing death with patients. This study clears a path for the patient to take initiative and provide clear, faith-informed direction to family, friends, pastors, and clinicians. While there are many advance care planning forms, I’ll Have It God’s Way fills a gap by showing Christians specifically how to think, write, communicate, and act so that death can be a worship experience for them and anyone who may be present to witness it. The author demonstrates how to lead the six-session study by modeling one session.
E6. Recession-Proof Chaplaincy
Hamish Seegers, APBCC-HPC
Chaplains are able to improve patient and family care, professional and personal life satisfaction, and the organizational outcomes and culture. Learn what the chaplain does and why it matters for the entire organization. Learn the educational requirements, outcomes, and competencies of a specialized chaplain education, as well as the competencies of a professional chaplain and the efficacy of the chaplain’s role. Gain insights into how to teach other professionals to perform spiritual care screening of patients and family.
Granger Westberg Memorial Lecture, The Future: Human Compassion in Systems of Care
Anthony Sheehan, BSN, RN
President and CEO – Aspire Health Alliance
Health care systems that provide coping, spiritual, and mental health care both live and via technology are at the forefront of managing the challenges of recent global issues. Many people who have limited access to mental and behavioral care are in the greatest need for compassionate care of the human spirit. Faith community nurses, chaplains, and other spiritual care health professionals are providing these people care as well as helping them connect to care through emerging technology. As a former mental and behavioral nurse and senior health system leader in the UK, now living in the US and serving as CEO of Aspire Health Alliance, Mr. Sheehan brings a unique perspective as an international leader connecting people to compassionate care in communities and systems of care.
Post Conference: 2021 Faith Community Nursing: How Can All Contribute to Research? BSN, MSN, PhD, DNP, and Other Terminal Degrees
Different education paths prepare Faith Community Nurses to contribute in various ways to the specialty practice. This pre-conference will discuss various paths available for Faith Community Nurses and how each contributes by working with frontline faith community nurses. A panel of Faith Community Nurses (PhD, DNP, MSN, and BSN) will provide opportunities for inquiry and discussion into how each contributes to the research agenda. CNE will be provided.
