On-Call Chaplain-Delnor

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Geneva, IL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The On-Call Chaplain provides spiritual care to patients, families, and staff at Delnor Hospital, helping them cope with uncertainty, stress, and critical demands in a hospital setting. Chaplains use a patient-centered approach, drawing on each person’s values, beliefs, religious resources, and spiritual practices to support meaning and hope. The role includes spiritual assessment and individualized interventions, emotional and spiritual support, advance care planning conversations, religious rituals and sacraments, prayer and meditation, community clergy liaison work, and collaboration on clinical cases, ethics discussions, and hospital initiatives.

The chaplain carries the on-call pager and must remain within a 30-minute radius of the hospital. On-call coverage is Monday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM, and Saturday and Sunday in 24-hour shifts from 8:00 AM to 8:00 AM. Additional daytime shifts may be available based on Spiritual Care Department scheduling needs. The chaplain upholds Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, values, Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.

Requirements

• One unit of Clinical Pastoral Education or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s degree in theology, a related field, or equivalent advanced studies.
• Must be in good standing with their faith organization.
• Strong interpersonal skills and self-direction.

Nice To Haves

• Two to four units of Clinical Pastoral Education.
• Master’s degree in divinity or a related field.
• Two years of hospital-related experience.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Board certification.

Responsibilities

• Provide compassionate spiritual care to patients and families of all backgrounds through visits and telephone support as needed.
• Conduct spiritual assessments, provide appropriate interventions, and develop care plans in consultation with the interdisciplinary team.
• Facilitate conversations about meaning, suffering, grief, and loss.
• Document patient and family encounters in the medical record.
• Incorporate patients’ support networks, including family, friends, and religious communities, when appropriate and possible.
• Guide advance care planning conversations and support patients in applying their values to decisions.
• Serve as a resource to staff regarding advance directives and ethical issues.
• Provide one-on-one supportive care and group debriefings for staff.
• Use safety tools and identify practices or processes that may benefit from quality improvement.
• Provide sacramental care and officiate services and ceremonies for patients, families, and staff as appropriate and requested.
• Use rituals and blessings to mark transitions and honor the sacredness of hospital work.
• Participate in developing and delivering Spiritual Care programs for staff, students, and the community.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary care team and advocate for patient wishes and wholeness.
• Triage and prioritize caseload using assessment and problem-solving skills.
• Partner with clinical staff to identify spiritual care consultations and referrals.
• Maintain positive relationships with the Spiritual Care team and communicate promptly, knowledgeably, and respectfully with patients, families, colleagues, and leadership.
• Educate staff about the chaplain’s role and Spiritual Care Department practices and policies.
• Train and empower clinical staff to recognize and respond supportively to spiritual and emotional needs.
• Demonstrate flexibility with clinical assignments and work schedules to help alleviate staffing demands.
• Carry the on-call pager and remain within a 30-minute radius of Delnor Hospital.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits, including tuition reimbursement, loan forgiveness, and 401(k) matching.
• A wide range of benefits intended to support physical, emotional, and financial well-being and provide protection for unexpected life events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time