What are the typical day-to-day activities of a health care Chaplain?
A typical day for a Chaplain encompasses a variety of activities. The Chaplain visits patients. If the Chaplain is one of several Chaplains in a department, he or she is likely to have a clinical specialization and function as a member of the corresponding interdisciplinary team. Such specialties can include oncology, palliative care, surgery, neurology, cardiovascular care, coronary care, women’s services, pediatrics, neonatology, organ transplant service, gene and cell transplantation, and renal disease. The Chaplain makes rounds, attends team meetings, consults on cases, and responds to all referrals and crises in the respective clinical units. The Chaplain may serve on hospital committees, such as the ethics committee, the Institutional Review Board, or the Joint Commission readiness committee. The Chaplain plans and conducts worship services in the facility chapel; services may include special religious holidays, memorial services, and other special occasions, as well as weekly wo
