"Does the chaplain ever bring good news?"

"Hmmm, yes, of course I do. (Just not this time...I say in my head.)

I am continualy amazed by the question I get asked by patients and their families.

This afternoon I walked into the middle of a tragedy. I had been at a sister hospital covering the patient load there when I returned to my hospital. "Oh good, you're here. There's been a CODE in the ER chaplain. You should probably go check it out!"

"On my way..."

I walk in to the ER, which the day after Thanksgiving is packed to the gills. I walk up to the Nursing station "How can I help?"

"Oh chaplain, the lady in there (she points to the Trauma room) died after we tried for 40 plus minutes to save her."

Interrupted by another Nurse "Oh GREAT, the clerk just vomited in the room. Now we have to deal with that!" I look at the floor and vomit is everywhere, followed by the fragrant (sic) smell of vomit. Vomit is not my area.

"What do you need me to do?"

The patients' Doctor turns to me, "Gather her family and take them to the chapel and I will come and tell them she has die." (Rule #1: Only Doctors informed family that a family member has died.)

Let's be honest here: everyone tends to know when the chaplain shows up that something 'not
good" has happened. Doesn't mean that it's true, I have gathered family before, many times so the Doctor could tell them that their family member was ok or critical and alive. The emotions is clearly in the room, hanging on every word the Doctor says.

Hear I am, in the chapel, being asked a few questions, which I honestly don't know, what I do know and can't say is that the patient has died, but we are engaging in small talk, praying, asking about other family and how can I help?

In walks a Deputy Sheriff "Is this the family of the dece...."

I jump up and back the officer out of the door and quickly close it behind me. "Sir, yes it is, but they don't know that she has died and you almost told them. We are waiting for the Doctor to inform them. Here's down in the ER..." (I point towards it). Now I am starting to get mad.

I walk to the ER behind the Sheriff approach an RN, "listen I need the Doc to come tell this family about their loss, because the Sheriff almost did his work and they are starting to freak."

"The sheriff did what?"

"That's why he needs to come quickly."

"Ok, I'll tell him."

I walk back to the chapel. Truthfully, I am not mad at the Doctor or the Sheriff. All I am thinking about it the deceased 10 year old son who is in the chapel praying for her mother and 'hoping she's ok. This has happened once before," he told me, "but she was ok."

As a reach the chapel the deceased's best friend asks me, "Do chaplains ever bring good news?"

"Sometimes." (When is the Doctor going to get here....)