CPSP Pastoral Report

The nurses we honor today, and you, learned early on that no mortal is exempt from mortality. That all of us laugh and cry. That all of us are human together. All of you have honored the diversity of patients with the knowledge that the hospital is the crossroads of our common humanity.

The nurses we honor today had much wisdom, as do you: If we could only see our assumed enemy cry and mourn. If we could only see those of another race or religion or nationality anxious and fearful. If we could only see them hope and struggle, laugh and love.

You nurses especially embody the diversity prized in Mrs. Ullian’s statement. Three weeks ago I was paged by the family of a dying patient in intensive care. The family consisted of one biological daughter and one adopted daughter and two adopted sons, all adults. I was there for three hours, with that family—as was their intensive care nurse for most of that time. The family reminisced about their mother, as she slowly gave in to her mortality. A school teacher and librarian, who even had these daughters and sons as her students, and made sure they did their homework—and who favored the one adopted son they all lovingly recalled. With their mother as their teacher, it was kind of hard to feign sickness or play hookey. Who would write the excuse? Who would read it?

The intensive care nurse was there answering their questions regarding their mother’s condition as life slowly ebbed from her. At one point, the one adopted daughter said to the nurse and me, “Thanks, you guys, for hanging in with us. It really helps.” You could tell how closely they had bonded with the nurse by the way they said her name, “Carline.” You could also tell by the way she responded. The nurse was of a different race than the daughters and sons and the patient. All of us human together in the face of death.

“Honoring the diversity of our community.” All of us human together in the face of life. Like the 2 months old great-grandson of a Jehovah’s Witness patient I’ve visited here often. Recently, that little great-grandson was outside the patient’s room, being held by her granddaughter as the great-grandfather/patient’s husband was standing nearby. I looked at the baby and then at the smiling great-grandfather and said, “Another flower is blooming.” He enthusiastically replied, “Yes! Yes!”

“Honoring the diversity of our community.” Around 14 years ago a Jehovah’s Witness patient inadvertently received a blood transfusion, which violated his religious beliefs and was a traumatic experience for him and his family—and for our medical team as well. This incident led CCU nurse manager, Nancy Couch, who was chair of the Nurses’ Ethics Committee, to call a special meeting of the Committee, with Jehovah’s Witness leaders in attendance. These leaders shared Jehovah’s Witness beliefs related to health care. They also requested being able to visit Jehovah’s Witness patients in the hospital. I attended that meeting. And it was Nancy Couch and the Nurses Ethics Committee who worked out the arrangement with me so that Jehovah’s Witness elders could visit patients of their faith. And, with the patient’s permission, we of the Pastoral Care Department have been informing Jehovah’s Witness elders when members of their congregations are patients here ever since that Nurses’ Ethics Committee meeting.

“Honoring the diversity of our community.” Surely that diversity includes animals as well. Another intensive care nurse had to put her aged dog to sleep, which was a painful loss to her. In time, she got a puppy of the same mixed breed, which she affectionately calls her “little monster.” In a short time, she discovered that her “little monster” had a kidney problem that would shorten his life to 7 or 8 years. When I expressed regret, she replied, “He’s going to have the best 7 or 8 years of his life.” Her patients also get that kind of care from her.

The nurses we memorialize today have “honor[ed] the diversity of our community”—and “provide[d], as Mrs. Ullian stated, “the highest quality health care” to patients and their families. We commend these nurses with deep gratitude to the god of life and love who walks on everyone’s pathway.

The diversity of divinity. The divinity of diversity.

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Bill Alberts is hospital chaplain at Boston Medical Center. Honoring Diversity in Patient
Care was presented at the Nov. 1, 2008 Massachusetts Memorial Hospital Nurses’ Alumni Association’s Annual Homecoming Memorial Service, at which members who died during the year are honored. Dr. Alberts is a nationally known writer and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch. In addition, he is convener of the New England Chapter of CPSP. Dr. Albert can be contacted via email.