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VISITING THE HOSPITAL Conference on Spirituality in Pediatrics 2009
History of the Clergy Symposium 2001-2007
2001 Experience the Journey: The Clergy’s Faith Walk with a Child Members of the Texas Children’s Auxiliary planned and hosted their first national symposium on ministering to the spiritual support of hospitalized and traumatized children and teens. The one-day conference had an attendance of 125. The purpose for the conference was to raise the national dialogue on the importance of faith in the recovery process and to explore ways to fill the void that sometimes exists between chaplains and the hospitals where they visit. It was also initiated by the Auxiliary to support the efforts of the chaplain's office. 2003 Experience the Journey: Farther Down the Road The second biennial conference was developed to further address the needs of faith leaders and broaden their knowledge of how best to minister in a multicultural setting. The scope was expanded to include spiritual care for the critically ill, chronically ill and terminally ill children and care for the caregivers. The popularity of the first symposium and the breadth of the subject matter encouraged organizers to expand to a two and a half day meeting. 2005 Experience the Journey: Co-Pilots Chart the Passage For the third biennial conference, child life and nursing professionals were added to the target audience along with chaplains, and organizers emphasized cross-disciplinary partnering in spiritual care. Care for the Caregiver was given further support with an experiential component integrated into the last day of the conference. Continuing Nursing Education contact hours were awarded to nurses for the first time in 2005. Childrens’ and parents’ panel received significant praise from attendees. 2007 Conference on Spirituality in Pediatrics: Caring for the Whole Child A broader focus brought on a name change in 2007, and the Clergy Symposium became the Conference on Spirituality in Pediatrics. The outreach to clinical professionals continued, as continuing medical education accreditation was received. An interdisciplinary focus was promoted, to bring healthcare professionals together with clergy, chaplains and volunteers to explore the role of spirituality in pediatric medicine. Parents of patients and children shared their clinical experiences as well as what they want from caregivers. In addition, special focus was given to renewal and care of our caregivers, including a full morning program devoted to renewal.
Testimonials
“The symposium was an incredible experience for me on various levels. It has made me more aware of and responsive to the spiritual needs of the families with which I interact. Thanks again for a very worthwhile program. I hope to be able to attend again next year.” Linda Howell, Registered Nurse, Texas Children’s Hospital “This is the only conference I’ve been to that is totally dedicated to spirituality in family-centered care for children. Many of us have been waiting for this kind of conference for years. The conference has offered me some wonderful times of connecting with other pediatric chaplains as well as healthcare workers in a variety of disciplines. It stands out as a fruitful time to share ideas and grow in knowledge and practice of pediatric pastoral care.” Reverend Raye Nell Dyer, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital “It was a wonderful conference. I especially enjoyed the opening presenter, his eclectic and scholarly resources that addressed self-care and family centered care.” Michelle Todd, Chaplain, Memorial Health System, Colorado Springs, CO
