Pastoral care staff participate on treatment team

Clinical department members at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center identified problems with their staffing conferences, in which they plan patient care. The problems included a deemphasis on social and spiritual aspects and an overemphasis on billing concerns. To correct these difficulties, the hospital adopted the Patient Evaluation Conference System (PECS), adding a pastoral care component. Central to the new system is the addition of pastoral care data from scales that assess patient status in four areas: (1) awareness of spiritual dimension of disability, (2) knowledge of spiritual resources, (3) skill in spiritual self-management, and (4) use of spiritual resources. Pastoral care staff write evaluations in easily understood language so other staff members can understand pastoral care's purpose. They formulate specific short-term objectives in order to delineate the pastoral services needed. Integration with the treatment team has resulted in greater accountability for the pastoral care staff. Patient progress charts now include specific pastoral care goals, and a daily report of pastoral care services is included on patient bills, although no fee is charged. Program evaluation and feedback systems to enable pastoral care staff to make more accurate assessments are planned. The new system has enhanced staff communication, service documentation, discharge planning, and the quality of pastoral care.