Spiritual care: supporting healing with empathy and compassion

“The beauty of listening – I could not overestimate it,” says Ime Udofia, Spiritual Care Coordinator at Dandenong Hospital.

It is through being fully present and listening actively, showing empathy and compassion, that Ime and her colleagues support patients and their families at Monash Health.

“A lot of our work is around end-of-life patients. Either giving emotional or spiritual support to the patient or the grieving family, or organizing religious support when requested,” said Ime.

Ime sits beside people in crisis and listens to them share their life story. Life review can help the patient find meaning and promote spiritual wellbeing, leading to deep inner healing.

“Every being has a spiritual need to talk to someone and that is what we offer – a listening presence.”

“I also try to bring out the good stories and celebrate my patient’s life.”

“Some people say ‘Thank you. I have not shared that with someone before; I feel lighter’.”

For long-stay patients and those far from home, Ime and her colleagues are often welcome visitors.

“We do big surgeries at Dandenong Hospital, so we can have patients here for months at a time. I will pop in to see people who have been here for two weeks or more, explain who I am and ask if they would like some support. We also receive referrals from our multidisciplinary teams on the wards,” said Ime.

“I believe we bring joy and comfort to many with our work.”

Ime was a university lecturer in building construction in Nigeria before she migrated to Australia to undertake postgraduate studies (PhD).

She chose to suspend her academic career to raise her four young children, then later worked in Home and Community Care / Disability Support.

Further studies in Theology led Ime to Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).

She feels she has found her “calling” working in spiritual care.

To learn more about spiritual care at Monash Health, please visit: https://monashhealth.org/patients-visitors/spiritual-care/