On Call

On Call

As I write, I am on call at our hospital. That means that if there is a trauma (auto accident, heart attack or any life threatening injury), the chaplain is alerted. I drop everything and head for the Emergency Room. I am on call only when the other chaplains are unavailable

If you have ever been to an Emergency Room, you know that it can be a busy place day or night. Anywhere from a child’s needing stitches from a fall to a person with a gunshot wound. It can get very hectic especially on weekends when people are enjoying all that Montana outdoors has to offer.

I have grown to appreciate the men and women who are trained to help in times of crisis. The police, firemen, EMTs, sheriff chaplains, nurses and doctors are trained to save lives. They do an extraordinary job in very difficult circumstances. The strain on their lives is great especially when all that could be done is not enough to save a life.

The chaplain’s responsibility in these situations is primarily with family. My focus is helping family members get accurate information about the condition of their loved one. Rarely are we prepared for the impact of trauma in life. Accurate information, a listening ear, and hugs go a long way in balancing fear of the unknown.

I am not immune to the emotional trauma that occurs in the ER. Many times, I feel that tightness in my stomach, the acute pain of the loss of life. I realize that it could be one of my loved ones who is dying. I don’t want to become hardened to the suffering of others.

I try to keep in mind the words of the prophet Isaiah who, foretelling the character of the messiah Jesus, said he is one who is “…a man of sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief.” There is much grief and sorrow in the ER that need words of encouragement and hope.