Who cares for the chaplains?
Recently I completed my PhD confirmation and, while I had prepared to defend my research methodology, there was one question that I had not prepared for. I am exploring the role of chaplains in the ambulance services and, after I outlined the role of chaplains, the critical readers asked me who looks after the chaplains? I left the meeting feeling like I had not done a great job answering that question and was still stewing on it a few days later, when as a chaplain I learnt the answer…the hard way.
Part of my role as an ambulance chaplain is to attend scenes involving trauma and death. There is a common misconception that chaplains are about going in and ‘bible-bashing’ staff, however this is not the case at all. In fact, the majority of staff I work with have never expressed a personal faith or in fact are open about ‘not having a religious bone in their body’. Yet they still trust me enough to call when they need coffee and a conversation, or when things go bad and they want some additional help on-scene for themselves, their staff, or other bystanders. Pastoral care to support and making sure they know we will stand beside them no matter what, that’s what I’m about.
In the days following my confirmation I received one of ‘those’ calls. The case was especially traumatic for everyone involved. The police inspector on scene, a 20+ year veteran of the service, commented he’d never seen anything like it. In my 22 years of nursing (the majority in emergency and trauma), nothing has come close. The ambulance manager met me on scene and had already done an incredible job of removing his staff and minimising exposure, but some of the other people involved needed a hand.
In the aftermath I had a 45-minute drive home to turn on my favourite music and decompress as much as possible before returning to my family. In my line of work, you don’t exactly go home and talk about your difficult day. I was getting close to home yet still feeling unsettled. Then I got a call from the manager I was on scene with. He asked, ‘How are you holding up?’. A call from the Senior Chaplain followed, then another chaplain friend. I was taken out of service for as long as I needed. One of my dearest friends who is a psychologist came over. We had already planned to celebrate my PhD milestone with some champagne, but she took the time to ask, ‘You want to talk about it?’ ‘Yes, but we won’t. You don’t need that trauma too.’ ‘No worries. You know I’m here if you need me.’
Over the following days there were more calls from my peers and the offer of chat with our psychologist which I will follow up on. Not only was I surrounded by support and encouragement from my ambulance family and friends, but I was given the space to implement strategies that I know improve my chances of bouncing back. There was no stigma around me speaking up and saying that I felt rattled, and (although I probably consumed more coffee than recommended) I bounced back and returned to work a few days later. I am aware that this is not the case for everybody, and each person will have their own trauma journey – this is just my story.
All of these people took the time to connect with me, not just in a tokenistic manner but in a truly empathic manner. They didn’t just ask ‘Are you ok?’ while busy doing other things, they stopped and actively listened. They made the effort to sit with me and make eye contact or give me a hug. Even those over the phone asked the right questions and engaged in a manner that left me feeling so grateful for their care. And no-one asked me to divulge the details or pressured me to ‘talk it through’.
I am co-leading a workshop at the upcoming UTS Empathy Symposium on empathic care of staff after critical incidents, and I am incredibly thankful to speak, not only from the position of someone who does this for a living, but also as a recipient of empathic and compassionate care.
Oh, and through this whole process I got the answer to my question and learnt exactly who cares for the chaplains.
The blog was written by Katie Tunks Leach, Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate, UTS ,and Chaplain, NSW Ambulance Services.
If you would like to learn more about caring for healthcare staff after critical incidents come to Katie’s workshop on December 5th - https://events.humanitix.com.au/uts-empathy-symposium
