"What Do You Do?" Part I

I've just started my 4th week as a Chaplain Intern at the lovely UT Southwestern Hospitals.  These weeks have been jam packed full in a way I've never experienced. I've been musing over just where to begin in writing about these experiences, and decided to start with some of the basics.  A question that has been asked both by myself and by others throughout this journey so far has been, "So, what do you do, exactly?" 

 I've asked this question to our mentor chaplains, often with stars in my eyes as I look up to them in awe and wonder. 

I seriously look like this at the "real" chaplains. 

Since being "on the floor" and being "on call", I find I get asked this multiple times a day, by patients, patient's families, and yes, even hospital staff.

There, too, have been times when friends or family ask me exactly what this internship is...what do I do every day?

Well, I finally feel like after three weeks, I can kind-of-sort-of-possibly-in-a-not-so-detailed way tell you what we do.

IN THE BEGINNING...

When we first started on June 2nd, we (the chaplain interns) were basically sponges, absorbing everything in training.  It kind of reminded me of my first week at seminary where I wrote EVERYTHING down and then realized I'd have to look up the definition of EVERYTHING and felt incredibly lost and overwhelmed.  

Everyday I went home those first couple of days I felt a bit like a robot (or how I imagine a robot would feel...).  I could function, but wasn't sure my head was connected to the rest of my body.  And I was so super de duper tired, and all we were doing was absorbing.

Who says learning isn't exhausting??

This was a recurring thought, almost daily hourly every minute.

The good part about this internship is that it isn't intentional in being overwhelming, but that is part of working in a hospital.  Ask any nurse, doctor, hospital staff, or administrator about working in a hospital setting - there is ALWAYS something new to learn, or to do, someone to talk with, or some form of paperwork.


Lot's of paperwork probably.


 In fact, I can guarantee there will always be paperwork. 

So, what do we, Chaplain Interns, do?



This is what we did the first week:

I am not kidding.

 All around the hospital.

We followed like good little ducklings, occasionally getting scattered by something - a page - or a first visit, by ourselves(!), or just overwhelmed.  We were introduced to so many faces and places.  We toured the hospital almost daily and still got lost.  We coordinated calendars.  We asked millions of questions.  (Ok, at least like 20 questions.) We went places that are not for the faint of heart.  We interns sat together at lunch and got to know one another.  We did just about everything together.

We followed our mentors like this:

Ok.

 I followed my mentor like this.  It was like having your giant security blanket with you at all times and not being a "real" chaplain.


Well, that ended real fast.


My mentor sent me into some rooms for some cold calls.

ALONE.

And we were told, for all intents and purposes, we are the "real" chaplains.

(That was day three, by the way.)

Since then, I've daily continued to learn exactly what we as chaplains do here at UT Southwestern Hospitals.
I say "daily" because what we do differs from day to day.
While our instructions might be the same, the patients differ.

 The situations differ.

The timing differs.

Our feelings change.

It is an ongoing journey, day to day.

So, stay tuned.

There's more to what we do.