More chaplains to help patients in spiritual need

7 May 2008

Tamworth, Quirindi and Inverell Health Services will play a vital role in training some of our future hospital chaplains this year.

The hospitals and health service will be the practical settings for the inaugural intake of seven trainees to the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) course.

Tamworth Chaplain Rev Chuck Shave said it was wonderful Hunter New England Health was supporting the development of future hospital chaplains to ensure patients have access to spiritual guidance into the future.

“Every patient, along with physical needs, also has spiritual needs,” Rev Shave said.

“Their physical ailments can be greatly helped when they are afforded the opportunity to share their story, bare their deep hurt, express their emotions and possibly make confession of past wrongs.

“With appropriate pastoral guidance they can experience personal freedom which can, in turn, sometimes help their journey back to physical health,” Rev Shave said.

The Clinical Pastoral Education trainees, from Anglican, Salvation Army and Liberty churches, recently commenced 200-hours beside work at the facilities.

They have been assigned their own wards to visit during the next nine months, which will to enable them to build relationships with patients in spiritual need.

Rev Shave said is hoped that by training more people in hospital chaplaincy, that the work of the Pastoral Care Team at the Tamworth Hospital could be extended in the future.

The establishment of the Clinical Pastoral Education in Tamworth, Quirindi and Inverell will allow the trainees to participate in the hospital chaplaincy program without having to travel far from their homes.

Prior to the establishment of the course trainees would travel to Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, or Canberra for similar training.

Contact: Emma Gibbs

Phone: (02) 6767 7137 or 0428 114 767