3 Attend to one’s own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
4 Respects the physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual boundaries of others.
PIC 3 comes along almost as if it recognizes how stressed out you might be from writing essays on PIC 1 and 2. The candidate must address the actions they take to attend to their own well-being. When asked what they do for self-care most healthcare workers will give a free advertisement for the healing power of a glass of wine. The chaplain should be able to go further. It includes boundaries, practices, and relationships not only outside of working hours but even within individual care encounters. Self-care practices like supportive relationships, mindful self-awareness, self-compassion, supportive structure, relaxation, and physical care are frequently practiced among chaplains with self-awareness being shown to be the strongest protector against burnout.[1]
The chaplain must include their boundaries and hold a conviction on not crossing those boundaries. One resource for learning more about boundary work and chaplain identity in the medical field comes from a study in the Netherlands which presents some novel applications.[2] Much like the fence between the king of the jungle and the local zoo attendee, boundaries provide healthy limits. They are there for the “mutual protection” of both the chaplain and the care recipients.[3]
The importance of boundaries is further addressed as PIC 4 focuses on respecting the boundaries of others. Most clinical guides loosely define boundaries which is why creating your own is important. Respecting boundaries is for the sustainment and integrity of the relationship. In the deep relational and emotional setting of a chaplain visit, boundaries may seem too rigid. Even so, the chaplain must understand the power dynamic with their position. Even the petting zoo still has a fence. For a good discussion of these concerns, Newitt provides a helpful case review to wrestle with these concepts.[4]
[1] Jason T Hotchkiss and Ruth Lesher, “Factors Predicting Burnout Among Chaplains: Compassion Satisfaction, Organizational Factors, and the Mediators of Mindful Self-Care and Secondary Traumatic Stress,” The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 72, no. 2 (2018): 91.
[2] Gaby Jacobs and Stefanie de Cuba. “’A Clear Center but No Clear Boundaries.’ The Construction of Professional Identities in Spiritual Care through Boundary Work in Participatory Action Research within Health Care,” Action Research 22, no. 2 (2024): 190.
[3] Alan T. Baker, Foundations of Chaplaincy: A Practical Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021), 170.
[4] Mark Newitt et. al., “Boundaries and Dual Relationships Within Chaplaincy Care,” Health and Social Care Chaplaincy 11, no. 1 (2023): 31.
Leave a Reply