Chaplain Resident

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

7d•$500,000

About The Position

The Chaplain Resident completes three units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) while concurrently pursuing a Master of Science in Patient Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The curriculum includes semester-long courses in clinical ethics, chaplaincy research literacy, spiritual care leadership, and preparation for chaplain board certification. Residents gain hands-on experience at an urban level-one trauma center, rotating through the emergency department, surgery, medicine, cardiology, pediatrics, women's health, psychiatry, corrections (prison ministry), palliative care, and organ donation protocols. Faculty provide mentorship and instruction. The role provides spiritual care and support to patients, families, and staff, along with spiritual and religious resources and assistance for dying patients and their loved ones. Residents document interventions, facilitate bereavement services, attend to spiritual and religious needs, participate in multidisciplinary teams, engage in ethical consultations and education, contribute to continuous quality improvement, and foster personal and professional development. The position requires adherence to VCU Health System and Department of Spiritual Care policies and procedures, and equitable care appropriate to the ages and needs of patients served. Work may involve periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads, exposure to physical altercations or verbal abuse, adverse weather, noise and bright lights, limited hazardous substances or body fluids, and human blood or other potentially infectious materials. The role may require car travel to off-site locations, sometimes in adverse weather, and may involve frequent interruptions. Universal precautions and personal protective equipment are required, along with learning and following infection-control policies. Physical demands include lifting and carrying and pushing and pulling up to 50 pounds, climbing, and sitting, walking, and standing; additional requirements and hazards are listed below.

Requirements

Acceptance into a Master of Science in Patient Counseling program.
Exercise universal precautions and use personal protective equipment and devices.
Learn and follow infection-control policies.
Meet the role's stated physical, sensory, and emotional demands.

Responsibilities

Provide spiritual care and support for patients, families, and staff.
Offer spiritual and religious resources and assistance to dying patients and their loved ones.
Document interventions in patient records.
Facilitate bereavement services.
Attend to spiritual and religious needs.
Participate in multidisciplinary teams.
Engage in ethical consultations and education.
Contribute to continuous quality improvement efforts.
Foster personal and professional development.
Adhere to VCU Health System and Department of Spiritual Care policies and procedures.
Provide equitable care appropriate to the age and needs of patients served, applying knowledge of life-span growth and development and assessing and interpreting relevant patient information.