A day in the life of a chaplain

07:45

I catch the bus into work. Once I arrive, I check to see if there’s any news concerning patients on the ward. Overnight, a patient has deteriorated, so I make a note to check in with their family later on and say prayers if requested.

08:30

I join the online morning meeting with my fellow Chaplains and we say Morning Prayer together. We also use this time to catch up – I update my colleagues on where I was called out to on the previous night, as we support children and adults in the Oxford and Banbury hospitals, as well as adults at the hospice itself.

09:00

The wider Sobell team has a handover meeting. Here I learn that a patient’s family would appreciate a Chaplaincy visit as soon as possible, so I head there straight after the meeting finishes. They want to discuss their loved one’s sleeping patterns. The family appreciate the opportunity to discuss their loved one’s care with someone non-medical. Through our chat, they come to a deeper understanding of their loved one’s treatment and prognosis. I encourage them to raise any concerns with their medical team.

09:30

I grab a cup of tea and plan my morning visits to patients. Once I’ve done the rounds, I catch up with staff on the ward. Today I support a staff member with a difficult situation that took place yesterday, and congratulate a member of staff who has recently got married.

10:15

An emergency comes into the chaplaincy team. A child is seriously ill and their parents have asked for a non-religious blessing. It’s currently snowing outside, so I include in the blessing that their child is as delicate, pure and precious as new snow.

11:30

It’s been a busy morning, but that’s one of the things I particularly enjoy about working in Sobell House; there are no typical days! Next on my ‘to do’ list is contacting a local Registrar, as a patient and his partner want to get married, and I need to ensure that everything is in place so the wedding can go ahead. Sometimes weddings take place in less than 24 hours, and on other occasions we have enough time to organise a blessing to take place within our Sanctuary. This couple are married by the Registrar and then spend their ‘honeymoon’ in Sobell. This allows us time to further plan another short ceremony, so I can bless the couple’s wedding rings. Sadly, several weeks later I officiate at the husband’s funeral.

12:00

Lunchtime, where I catch up on the latest sports news.

12:30

Many people think that you need to be religious to benefit from the chaplaincy service, but we support patients of all faiths and none. The next patient I see isn’t religious but appreciates a listening ear and emotional support as they want to talk about their daughter. They are extremely proud of their daughter, but want an opportunity to contemplate what life will look for her once they are gone.

14:30

Within Sobell I have always found there is more laughter than tears; though there are of course plenty of tears and I often spend time with patients and their families helping to plan funerals. Today, I am speaking to a patient who is not particularly religious and would like a secular ceremony to celebrate their life. However, their parents are deeply religious. They want their parents to be welcome at the ceremony but also remain true to themselves. We consider a number of possibilities of what such a service might look like.

15:45

I arrange for a Chaplain of Muslim faith to visit a patient on the ward. We visit the patient and their young family together. After introductions are made, I leave the Imam with the family.

17:00

I head home and reflect on my day. Sobell House is a wonderful place to work and it’s great to be part of such a dedicated and skilled team. Yes, work can be stressful at times, with lots of plates spinning, but I’m grateful for my caring family and friends and time to pursue interests outside of work; which in turn enables me to enjoy catching the bus into work the following day!