Chaplains...

[Richard B the EMT]

I guess I just got used to calling all military chaplains "Padre". That ended when I accidently called a Rabbi Chaplain "Padre", to the amusement of everyone in attendance, including the Rabbi.

[Bieber]

We don't have chaplains, no, and I tend to agree with AK on this one that the government shouldn't be paying for religious services.

However, I will make whatever reasonable patient-specific accommodations I can for my patient if they have a religious request from me. I will pray with them, I will call their family religious head/priest/preacher/imam/whoever if they would like, whatever. Usually if it's a code blue that we terminate resuscitation on scene or if it's an obvious death, I'll ask the family if they'd like us to get a hold of their religious leader. To me, it doesn't really matter if I believe in their religion, it's about doing what's going to make the patient most comfortable and feel the best. If it's important to them, and it doesn't hurt patient care, then it's important to me too. No different than asking the patient if they'd like us to grab their shoes on our way out or lock their door or put their dog outside.

In short, it's about the patient, not us. We shouldn't be presumptuous about people's religious preferences and bring chaplains with us to the calls, nor should the taxpayers fund them, but if the family has a religious request, be it asking you to pray with them or get a hold of their religious leader, I think we as medical providers have a duty in the spirit of being good caregivers to make whatever reasonable accommodations we're comfortable with making to assist in that. By no means should we endorse any one religion, but rather be promoters of whatever makes the patient or their family feel comfortable.

[chappy]

Hey, I appreciate the honesty. I can take an honest, sincere answer a lot better than I can tolerate outright abuse.

To alleviate some of the concerns, I understand that everyone does not hold to the same values and faith I do. I certainly hope the opportunity would present itself where I could offer someone an evangelistic answer to their question. However, I don't expect my outreach to primarily be evangelistic. In any case, the answer would be a response to a question. I have no intentions of arriving somewhere (call, squad bay, whatever) and start preaching. I am actually working toward getting the certifications back, including the EMT-P.

I will also have the Bible College complete as well as official CISM training. Yes, my answers to stress, CISM, etc. will be more Bible based than not. However, I completely understand that people have different coping mechanisms. I don't have to agree with someone getting plastered after a bad shift any more than any of you have to agree that my prayer, reflection and study are effective coping methods. My goal is to be a help to those who lean the same way I do.

I suppose what I am saying is that the chaplain should be an option which is available. The beauty of the U.S. is that it does still have a few freedoms, including freedom to worship as we see fit, or not at all. If I am allowed to wear a uniform, I suspect it will come with restrictions which generally fit what I have already described.

As I said, I intend to be fully re-certified. So, I wouldn't be dead weight.

Again, I appreciate the honest input so far. What about the rest of you.