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Chaplain Vera O'Brien pours tea for Shannon Cahill, RN, on Tower 4C.
With tea in porcelain tea cups and soft music, the break room on Tower 4C was transformed into a respite—or as some nurses imagined, “Tea at the Ritz.”
“It’s nice with the music; it feels so comfortable,” Myrna Menezes, a patient care assistant, said of the break room, where Chaplaincy had set up Tea for the Soul.
The program, developed by Chaplaincy in the past year, aims to provide a breather to nurses, therapists, technologists and other care providers during busy shifts.
“Our mission in the hospital is to support staff as well as patients,” said Kathleen Gallivan, SND, PhD, director of Chaplaincy. “This is one way we can do that.”
Chaplains work with managers and directors to determine convenient times for them to visit units with tea. Then, they wheel a cart stocked with flowered tea cups, tea, fresh fruit and cookies and park in the staff break room.
“We tell the nurses and patient care assistants to come in and take a break,” Gallivan said. “We play soft music and just chat. It’s a time for us to say, through tea, that we value them and appreciate the work they do on behalf of patients.”
Chaplain Rev. Vera O’Brien and Chaplain intern Jay Burke delivered Tea for the Soul to Tower 4C staff last week. “I love doing this,” said O’Brien, who invited staff to choose from a variety of tea—pumpkin spice was the favorite—and filled their cups with hot water. “There are so few moments for anyone on staff to relax for a moment, take a breath and feel cared for themselves.”
Staff who don’t have a moment to step into the break room are offered a disposable paper cup with tea “to go.”
Charlene Ross, unit coordinator on 4C, found the experience “very de-stressing,” she said. “It was very thoughtful of them to do this.”
Chaplaincy staff recently were treated to their own Tea for the Soul from Leo Buckley Jr., director of Business Services for Patient Care Services, who wanted to thank them for their work on behalf of patients, families and staff.
Any department interested in hosting Tea for the Soul should contact Gallivan. “We’re happy to do it anywhere in the hospital,” she said.
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