How do I make a referral to Spiritual Care?

  Referrals to Spiritual Care can made by:

• Secure Chat via the EMR,  
  
  
• making a call to the Spiritual Care practitioners phone extension or
  
  
• by asking switchboard (91) to page the Duty practitioner.
  
  
• VIA the ORDER TAB in the (EMR)

To make a referral/ORDER via the EMR please follow the following procedure:-

1. In Patient Chart make a referral from the Orders Tab
2. In the search bar (on the right of screen) type the first few letters of the Department or Practitioners name, that you wish to make the referral.  E.G. Spirit for Spiritual Care
3. Select the correct referral, complete the fields in the pop up window, click accept, Sign the order to compete the referral.

If making a referral via EMR please also secure chat, phone or email the practitioner you are making the referral to, this will ensure a timely response to your referral,
or contact the Normal Hours Duty Spectralink no 51839.

Practitioners are often on the ward so please feel free to approach them and ask for assistance.

Spiritual Care practitioners are available during normal business hours  (8.30 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday)

At all other times including Public Holidays and Weekends an On Call Duty practitioner is available.
To Contact the On Call Duty practitioner please phone Switchboard (91)  and ask to speak to the On Call Duty practitioner.
The On Call Duty practitioner will initially call in and speak to you and will then negotiate an appropriate response to meet your needs.

What should I do with a request for a Catholic Priest or for a Catholic sacrament such as Baptism or "Last Rites"?

1. Ring the On Call Duty practitioner via Switchboard (91).  A practitioner will ring you back and either consult with you on the phone or come into the hospital to address the need in person.

2.  The practitioner will make contact with the family to confirm that this is the desire of the parent(s) and will then contact a priest and liaise between the priest and the family to ensure that their request is satisfied.

3.  The practitioner will also follow-up providing spiritual care with the family as often the priest is available briefly to perform a ritual and then must leave.

If the family is a member of a local Catholic parish and they desire their clergy to come in, it is possible for them to contact them directly.
Please note: It is not advisable for RCH staff to make direct contact with churches and attempt to secure a priest to come in as this is the responsibility of the On Call Duty practitioner as there are a number of good governance procedures that must be complied with.

Referral Documents 

Download PDF copies of Referral Documents here:   Spiritual Care Referral at RCH   Spiritual Care Referral Process Document