Standing Up to Sutter

"As a Chaplain in this end-of-life work, I get to tend to the heart of each patient and their loved ones who would like spiritual care. This is holy work; one I do not take lightly. But over the last few years, I've realized that my work environment doesn't allow me to provide the care I would like to. A supervisor once scolded me for my 'lack of productivity' after I held up the phone so family members who lived on the East Coast could say their goodbyes to their dying matriarch and between meeting a worried wife as her dear husband was dying. Because of our employer's focus on numbers, I can't give each patient or family member all the time and space they need to process their grief or express their hurts and joys. I've even missed calling family members after their loved one died because I'm just too busy. Since we unionized, our employer has eased up a little and allowed me to tend to our families a little less unhurried. But we need more spiritual care counselors. When one of us is sick or on vacation, no one is available to fill in. I'm hoping an upcoming contract will bring us the qualified staffing we need to honor this holy work we do at the end of life."