A health crisis, whether you are a patient or family member, can be emotionally and physically overwhelming. You may experience trouble focusing or making decisions. Sources of strength and practices once meaningful seem out of reach. You find yourself asking questions like “Why me?”, “What does this mean for my life?”, “How will I get through this?” Our chaplains are here to support you. Professionally trained, chaplains help patients and families cope with distress from illness, injury and unanticipated life events. Chaplains respectfully meet patients and families within the context of their own beliefs, values, and situations. You do not need to be religious or spiritual to seek help from a chaplain.
Working with you and your family, a chaplain can provide or arrange:
- Listening and supportive conversation
- Understanding of the emotional and spiritual distress of illness and how it affects you and your relationships
- Help with discovering sources of comfort and meaning for you in coping with the stress of illness
- Prayer or meditations for relaxation and centering
- Rituals and spiritual practices important to you
- A bridge to your faith community, and to your clergy or spiritual leader
- Support for you and your family in making health care choices
- Support in facing death, or losses and life changes due to illness
- Support for families in their grief when a loved one is dying and after
Catholic and Interfaith chaplains are available in the hospital between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For emergency needs that arise after-hours, on weekends or holidays, on-call chaplains are available. During the COVID-19 pandemic, chaplains are available to speak with patients and families via phone and video calls.
To talk with a chaplain, please ask your nurse or a member of your health care team, or call 1-319-356-2248.
Chaplain Blog
Chaplains are trained to listen, but this is a chance to share from our experience: thoughts, stories, practices, and lessons on various themes which we hope may bring our readers some insight and inspiration in daily coping and living. Our views reflect individual views and not that of our department.
Spiritual Resources
Prayers
Prayers, Poems and Blessings for Uncertain Times
Prayers, Poems and Blessings for Uncertain Times is a spiritual resource for staff, patients and families developed by chaplains for this time of COVID-19. Our hope is that it will bring you comfort and peace in these challenging days.
Prayers for Parents of Babies on the Way and in the NICU
Songs
Songs for Emotional Healing and Uplift
These sites introduce contemporary oral tradition songs from community songwriters across the country and world:
