Navigating Critical Moments: The Importance of Spiritual and Psychosocial Collaboration in Addressing Coping in the Pediatric ICU

Abstract

Objective: To explore, by way of intentional, case-based reflection, the ways in which hospital-based chaplains and pediatric psychologists collaborate as key members of a patient/family’s interdisciplinary care team to provide synergistic spiritual and psychosocial care. Methods: Intentional reflection and dialogue amongst co-authors with backgrounds in chaplaincy/spiritual care, pediatric intensive care medicine, pediatric palliative care medicine, and pediatric psychology. Co-authors took notes on the content of conversations they observed at a midwestern hospital. They then reviewed the content of these conversations for themes which might be applicable to interdisciplinary psychosocial and spiritual care. Results: While each case represents one specific situation, key concepts were identified and explored. These include: differences in timing of care and expertise among psychosocial team members can be leveraged to enhance the collective ability to support a family; spiritual and psychological distress can mirror one another, and even co-occur; a family’s religious or cultural identity does not inherently predict the degree to which their distress has spiritual underpinnings; the collaborative nature of interdisciplinary team members can strengthen support to patients and families if they demonstrate partnership and consistent communication. Conclusions: Interdisciplinary teamwork involving collaboration between hospital chaplains and pediatric psychologists, both serving critical roles within the care team, can lead to unique and effective partnerships which enhance psychosocial and spiritual care for patients and families. While these reflections represent collaboration at a single hospital, further work should be done to better understand the current state of such teamwork more broadly, and to identify best practices to maximize the impact of these collaborations across institutions.

Implications for Impact Statement

Through narrative case-based reflection, the present study attempts to identify ways in which chaplains and pediatric psychologists collaborate as members of the interdisciplinary care team to provide synergistic spiritual and psychosocial care. Further attention is devoted to outlining considerations for future research and practice that may guide the development of interdisciplinary models for collaboration across institutions.