Hospital chaplains are definitely some of the most unsung heroes of the pandemic. Join Marcus and Chaplain Bill Simpson, MM, BCC for an enlightening discussion on how chaplains not only support patients and families, but hospital staff, as well.
We’ll learn how Bill is helping the healthcare professionals at his facility to reframe the way they’re seeing their struggles so that they can better overcome them.
Key topics:
[1:18] Bill shares with us a story of when he was there for someone else
[3:40] The power of presence
[7:38] Bill’s 30 year history as a Pastor and how that lead to him becoming a Chaplain
[9:54] How Bill’s role as a Chaplain has changed and pivoted through the Covid pandemic, focusing more than ever on staff
[13:08] A lot of healthcare professionals, professionally, only know Covid times; Bill’s job is to help them reframe that it won’t always be like this
[14:02] Sad often shows itself as mad…and there’s a lot of sadness right now
[15:28] Holding others’ pain vs absorbing it
[16:46] The staffing shortage and how challenging it’s been during the second surge
[18:07] In the first wave, we heard “were all in this together” - it doesn’t feel that way this time
[18:45] Complicated grief
[19:04] You are not alone
[19:38] Details on chaplaincy
[20:56] Disenfranchised grief
[22:05] Bill’s daily practices in order to stay resilient from the pain and suffering that he witnesses
[25:22] Why Bill believes it’s worth coming out differently on the other side of this pandemic
[27:55] We cannot sweep our trauma under the rug
[28:35] Post traumatic growth and what that entails
[30:40] A story of a wedding in the ICU thrown together by rockstar staff
[32:30] There’s so much to celebrate, even now
[32:52] Hanging in by a thread? I’ll bring some more thread…
[34:50] If stranded on an island, the one piece of art Bill would take
[36:06] Bill’s main focus when it comes to selfcare
[37:01] If Bill had the ear of the world, the message he would want to convey
[37:36] YOU ARE LOVED
Resources for you:
Connect with Board Certified Chaplain, Bill Simpson, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bsimpson5
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wm-simpson/
Connect with Marcus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcusEngel
Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusengel/
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple: https://bit.ly/MarcusEngelPodcast
Learn more about Chaplain Bill Simpson:
Chaplain Bill Simpson, MM, BCC spent more than 30 years in congregational ministry, but his transition to healthcare chaplaincy was a natural one. “I’d known for quite a while that I found great fulfillment in providing meaningful care for people in difficult circumstances,” he said. “When the door opened, I was ready for the move to chaplaincy.”
Married to his wife, Brenda, for over 40 years, they are the proud parents of three adult daughters. Chaplain Bill was born in MO, but, over the years, he’s lived in seven other states as well. This has given him an ability to connect easily with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, a useful tool in his work as a hospital chaplain.
“Life is about making a difference,” Bill says, “and that’s what I get to do every day. It’s an incredible privilege.”
Date: 10/19/2021
Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
Episode title and number: Episode 09 – Chaplain Bill Simpson: You Are Loved