“universal thank you note” by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

You have a few more hours to figure out how to thank your healthcare organization chaplain(s). Tomorrow marks the beginning of a month of chaplaincy thanks. I’ve been working on a special gift for some amazing chaplains around me at work. I’ll post the DIY gift idea a little later in the month as I don’t want to give away any of the surprises considering they may see this post.

Chaplains are unsung heroes in healthcare. They have more education than most of us, receive less pay than almost everyone on the healthcare team, and have some of the toughest work imaginable in the industry. I admit I didn’t begin my nursing career working closely with chaplains – even as an oncology nurse. I’m quite ashamed of that now because I often omitted a foundational member of the healthcare team. I was naive to chaplains’ education, experience, and skill. It has only been within the last year that I have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with chaplains in cancer care, and I have learned so much.

I am forever thankful to the professional chaplains providing care throughout the U.S. and across the globe. Be sure to thank the chaplains in your life this month.