During Nurses Week at Rush North Shore Medical Center, the Spiritual Care department will offer its 400-plus nursing staff the opportunity to participate in the Blessing of Hands ritual.

 

The blessing of hands can be a very important way to demonstrate a collaborative spirit and openness to partnership. “It is one way of affirming and empowering individuals in their healing care,” notes Chaplain Carolyn Beil.

 

Since its inception several years ago, the service has become a popular tradition as part of Rush North Shore Medical Center’s celebration of Nurses Week. During the week-long observance, chaplains will bless nurses’ hands with water as a sign of the care and healing that they offer to patients and in recognition of their vocation as caregivers.

 

As part of Nurses Week, the hospital will also introduce a special Tea Service to celebrate its commitment to relationship-based care and caring for its nursing staff. At the service, tea will be served in elegant china cups and nurses may select a pocket-sized gratitude card with an inspirational quote. The Tea Service will go mobile after Nurses Week as part of a “self- care recovery resource” for nurses who might be dealing with a difficult situation on their unit. “Tea will be brought up on a cart and served to offer a few minutes of respite and comfort,” says Beil.

 

“We want to show our nurses that our hospital values them,” says Roslyn Lennon, RN, MS, vice president of patient care services. “These celebrations recognize the tremendous work undertaken by nurses and the comfort and care they bring to our patients, their loved ones and to the hospital.