Hospital chaplain training others to be source of comfort in crises

Five days a week, he walks hospital hallways.

Around one corner, a physical therapist greets him by name. Around another, a patient in a gurney offers a weak smile.

For 22 years, the Rev. Jerry Blankinship has picked up where medical science leaves off by spiritually counseling thousands of patients at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Now Blankinship is offering his counsel to candidates in Nevada's first Clinical Pastoral Education program, which started this month at Sunrise and also is being sponsored by St. Rose Dominican Hospital and VistaCare Hospice. Classes take place one weekend a month through the end of February and are aimed at preparing members of the clergy for hospital chaplaincy.

"As Nevada grows, the need for spiritual services in hospitals also grows," said Blankinship, a Methodist. Currently, he is one of few full-time hospital chaplains in Las Vegas. Some hospitals call on a pool of volunteer clergy, and others employ part-time clergy.

But the demands of a hospital ministry are different from those in a church or synagogue, and the training program offers an education tailored for the environment. Subjects include medical terminology, the stages of grief and on-the-spot crisis counseling skills.

After completing the courses, the four students -- chosen from a pool of 20 clergy who applied -- will recognized by the Association of Professional Chaplains or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. The courses are designed by Rocky Mountain Pastoral Care Training Associates from Colorado.

Because Nevada has not had a Clinical Pastoral Education program until now, clergy who wanted certification had to go to other states for training.

"I used to drive every Thursday to Loma Linda, California. Now I can complete my coursework in-state," said the Rev. Mary Bredlau, chaplain at Palm Mortuary and an Episcopal priest who is enrolled in the Sunrise program. "It is wonderful that they're finally being offered somewhere in-state."

Bredlau has some clinical pastoral experience -- she worked in a hospice for seven years -- but she said that carefully administered continuing education is critical in preparing clergy for dealing with the sick and wounded.

"It is very different from pastoring a church," Bredlau said. "The challenge in chaplaincy is that you don't know a thing about the patient and you come to them in a time of crisis, when they are in pain and frustrated and, mainly, afraid.

"You don't do any preaching or converting, you can't make judgments about their faith or lack thereof. These people are afraid of what it's going to feel like when they die, they are afraid of being alone, and mostly what they need is someone in there who understands their fear and pain. The whole power of the chaplaincy is just listening."

Blankinship, who was educated out of state, said that in his 22 years he has helped patients with a variety of spiritual challenges, ranging from near-death experiences to people who wanted to reconcile issues in their pasts before they died.

"You have to learn that you cannot solve every problem. Sometimes the best you can do is just hold their hand, figuratively and literally," Blankinship said.

Other times, he said, it is the chaplain who learns from the grace of those who face the challenges.

"Once, I had to talk about death with a 5-year-old boy who was terminally ill," Blankinship said.

"I said, 'How are you feeling?' and he said, 'Pretty good.' I asked him how he was feeling about the fact that he might die, and he said, 'It's OK. I'm kind of looking forward to it. There will be no more shots, and Jesus is going to have a tricycle for me.'

"And so we just left it at that," Blankinship said.

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