Chaplain

DEPARTMENT: HOSPICE

F ACILITY: Hospice of Tift Area

WORK TYPE: Part Time With Benefits

S HIFT: Daytime

SUMMARY

The Chaplain serves as liaison between patient and staff. The Chaplain, as a member of the healthcare team, is responsible for serving the spiritual and emotional needs of the patients, their families and employees of the organization. The Chaplain is available to persons in times of crisis and is a liaison between the hospital and patient families and visiting clergy during times of crisis.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides pastoral care to staff as needed.
• Provides spiritual support for patients/families/caregivers without clergy or additional support for those with clergy, as requested.
• Performs religious rites when requested by patient or family, or refers to appropriate clergy for such services.
• Coordinates memorial or funeral services for patients, as requested.
• Maintains comprehensive working knowledge of spiritual community resources, directing patient/family/caregivers to such resources as appropriate.
• Assists patient/family/caregiver in accessing spiritual community resources.
• Works with staff, clergy, and community groups to enhance their sensitivity to the spiritual concerns of patients/families experiencing terminal illness and loss.
• Visits and assesses patient/family/caregiver in compliance with the plan of care, as needed.
• Notifies appropriate personnel when patient complains of pain or other symptoms.
• Provides guidance to and counsels patients and families to help resolve social or emotional issues associated with dying, death, and grief.
• Fosters patient/family/caregiver communication about grief issues and reevaluates patient/family/caregiver grief issues as indicated.
• Cultivates cooperative and collaborative effort among team members, family/caregiver, hospital personnel, and other providers in providing continuity of patient care in a holistic manner.
• Keeps abreast of pertinent federal, and state regulations and laws and Tift Regional Health System, Inc. (“TRHS”) policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
• Understands and adheres to: TRHS’ compliance standards as they appear in TRHS’s Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy; and HIPAA and TRHS policies regarding privacy and security of protected health information.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform tasks that meet the age-specific requirements of the persons, patients, vendors, and staff that the employee is charged to interact with as required by the position.
• Offers suggestions on ways to improve operations of department and reduce costs.
• Attends all mandatory education programs.
• Improves self-knowledge through voluntarily attending continuing education/certification classes.
• Maintains required competency levels as identified in written exams, skills checklists, skills labs, annual safety and health requirements as well as service excellence education hours requirements.
• Cross-trains in order to better assist co-workers and to provide maximum efficiency in the department.
• Volunteers/participates on hospital committees, functions, and department projects.
• Manages resources effectively.
• Reports equipment in need of repair in order to extend life of equipment and removes malfunctioning equipment out of service with timely reporting to the appropriate personnel.
• Makes good use of time so as to not create needless overtime.
• Demonstrates ability to adequately assess and reassess pain.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's Degree in Related Field

OTHER INFORMATION

• Graduate of a seminary is required.
• Five (5) years’ experience as a minister in a local church or other religious setting required.
• Ordination and endorsement to Chaplaincy by a national body of religious faith required.
• Minimum two years clinical experience or equivalent in a hospital setting required.
• Membership in a certified chaplains association or actively working towards membership required.
• Minimum one year in Clinical Pastoral Education training required.
• Previous experience in hospital environment preferred.

Southwell/Tift Regional Health System, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.