Spiritual Health Practitioners take on the role of Family Liaison at St. Boniface Hospital
An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a scary and intimidating place to be at any time, but the extra degree of isolation caused by pandemic-related visitor restrictions came with the potential for adverse effects on the spiritual, psycho-social and mental well-being of patients and their families.
Thankfully, the Family Liaison Project was developed to help patients and their families maintain their connections through the use of technologies such as tablet computers, smart phones and apps such as Zoom or FaceTime.
In the early phases of the project, medical students volunteered their time as Family Liaison team members at St. Boniface Hospital, but as the pandemic continued and the students returned to classes full time, two Spiritual Health practitioners - Wanda Derksen and Darlene Ingram - were assigned to the project. As Spiritual Health practitioners, they lend their skills as compassionate listeners, grief and loss counsellors and facilitators of rituals such as prayers and blessings to help keep patients, families and staff connected.
Though there is no substitute for being physically present with a loved one when they are ill, many people have expressed their deep appreciation to Wanda and Darlene for making it possible to have a conversation and to see their loved via video chat.
Wanda and Darlene have facilitated connections between patients and their loved ones through their stays in ICU, including at special times such as birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
At times, when people are not able to be present at the bedside due to factors that restrict travel during COVID-19, Wanda and Darlene have facilitated end-of-life conversations and passings, often following up with much-needed bereavement support.
When members of the same family suffering from COVID have been admitted to different hospitals, Wanda and Darlene have facilitated conversations between these family members, bringing a great deal of peace and comfort to these patients. These conversations allow patients and families to encourage one another, to keep their spirits up, and to overcome their illness so that they can be together again before long.
The healthcare team is very grateful for the assistance Wanda and Darlene have been in scheduling medical updates with families.
For their part, Wanda and Darlene say it has been an honour to enter into the lives of patients and their loved ones to facilitate a basic human need that's particularly acute in times of illness: connections with those we love. They look forward to the day when their services are no longer needed and families will return to the bedside of their loved ones.
