2 Establish and maintain professional and interdisciplinary relationships.
OL 2 demonstrates that the chaplain maintains and develops relationships. There is a beginning step and a sustaining step. Relationships are at the very core of this profession. I mentioned doing little trivia games on the units and using a bracket. Before having done this I had no idea about the relationships from one unit to another. When one unit was told they were in second place to another unit I learned about some of the histories between them. Just as some staff have personality conflicts, so do different hospital units. Knowing some of these details is crucial for professional and interdisciplinary relationships.
Chaplains will find themselves as a connecting point for many of these sensitive relationships. One study looks at chaplains and social workers within interdisciplinary relationships. 93% of chaplains noted they regularly work with social workers.[1] The article also addresses some of the challenging circumstances that these relationships bring like working with social workers who are territorial with patient care or look down on spiritual care.[2] You would benefit from reflecting on the point that your job title defines your relationships before they begin. Many people will have stories from their lives where the church, or clergy, have hurt them. Others may defer to you because of their own experiences with spiritual leaders or belonging to a faith group. Power dynamics and ethics are also at play in these relationships.
[1] Cynthia Harr, Linda Openshaw, and Brenda Moore, “Interdisciplinary Relationships between Chaplains and Social Workers in Health Care Settings,” Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 16 (2010): 18.
[2] Ibid., 20.
Leave a Reply