Journal of Sacred Work

   Love flows strong when it's carriers are true.

   In the whispers of our hearts, fear dances beside Love's spirit, watching for an opening. Hospice and Hospital caregivers live within teams where Love brings truth and fear drives anger and, sometimes, deception. 

   First line caregivers live each day with a minefield of worries: Did I give the right medication? Did I respond quickly enough to my patient's needs? Is my supervisor going to lay me off? Did the surgeon and I remove all the sponges from the patient in the operating room?

   Physician caregivers face similar concerns including lawsuits, paperwork and the steady barrage of questions that come from the ill and injured. If they are sued, they may see their colleagues inch away from them, as if fearful that lawsuits are contagious.

   Loving care requires that caregivers look after each other as well as themselves. When fear is the driving feeling, team members can feel like rivals instead of partners. In fear, caregivers may find themselves reveling in the misfortunes of others.

   When Love predominates, caregivers see themselves and their team as engaged, together, in sacred work. They seek the success of the team because this means the patient and family receive the best care.

   What of mistakes? This is where truth-telling is not only best for the patients but crucial to good care. Instead of condemning teammates for errors we need to support them in both telling the truth and correcting mistakes.

   As for exhaustion, great teams always watch out for the energy levels of their colleagues. Stepping into the breach to give another a rest brings energy to all.

   Supervisors, of course, can make a huge difference in group culture by ensuring they are encouraging a supportive environment. But, the focus of this relationship is caregiver-to-caregiver support. Many hands, one goal. The power of the peer group is always strong.

   Radical Love calls team members to nurture their relationships with their team even when they may feel angry and resentful. Everyone knows what happens when a team practices loving care with each other as well as with patients. Everyone knows what happens to caregiving when fear, anger, jealousy and complaints become the daily mantra.

   What would we rather have in the culture of our team, Love or fear?

   Why wait for supervisors to solve every team issue for us? Why not be the who can reaches out to others to resolve, to forgive, to support and to live Love? This is the whisper in our hearts that needs to find voice in our actions. This is the whisper that says we are all children of God.

-Rev. Erie Chapman, J.D.