Job Summary:
Forrest General Hospital Chaplains provide non-sectarian, multi-denominational spiritual support to people of all faiths. Chaplains may be called upon to provide Pastoral Care visits to people with or without religious affiliations. Chaplains will provide the following types of service to persons of all faiths:
- Spiritual support to all patients and their family members upon request.
- Pastoral care, spiritual support/emotional support, crisis counseling, palliative care, end of life care, and bereavement support.
- Intervene when outside religious practices are not wanted or not in the best interest of the patient.
- Interpret hospital policies to visiting clergy and assist local clergy in their hospital ministry.
- Share “on-call” duties and must be able to work a rotating schedule, including occasional weekend shifts. When “on-call,” chaplains must be able to respond within 60 minutes of the time of request.
Performance Expectations:
Chaplains shall demonstrate the following traits:
- Openness, compassion, empathy and supportive behaviors to all faiths utilizing a non-proselytization, non-agenda approach to pastoral care and presence.
- To listen and communicate with, support and empathize with people from a diversity of spiritual beliefs.
- An ability to remain calm and to provide a pastoral presence that is compassionate and appropriate for the spiritual care of those enduring crises.
- A teachable spirit.
- Interact and function as part of the larger health care team.
- A “ministry of presence” with people.
- An ability to assess spiritual needs, develop spiritual follow up plans and an ability to grasp clinical documentation requirements for the electronic record
- Practice proper infection prevention.
Qualifications:
Education/Experience/Skills:
REQUIRED:
- Three years’ experience in ministry and/or health care chaplaincy.
- Official endorsement by the individual’s affiliated faith group or denomination.
- Letter of recommendation from the local congregation with whom they are affiliated.
PREFERRED:
- Completion of Master of Divinity or similar degree from an accredited religious institution.
- Ordained by the individual’s affiliated faith group.
- One unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.
SKILLS:
- Competency using EPIC for clinical documentation, as well as MS OUTLOOK, WORD and EXCEL for supportive tasks.
- Social skills to meet new people quickly.
Mental Demands:
- Must be able to simultaneously cope with all types of emotionally and spiritually difficult and stressful scenarios.
- Must be able to serve and empathize with difficult people in difficult and crisis moments and then quickly adjust to the next person’s situation.
