Everyone who works in the hospital is involved in "patient care," which is more than surgery, medication or therapy. Kudos to those people we never see, such as the ones who clean, cook, work nights, deliver medicine, and restock supplies. Remember those who arrange schedules, converse with insurance companies, and the people who manage, repair, cut grass, maintain security and transport patients. Please do not leave out the volunteers; hundreds of them who greet, run errands, fold linens, hold hands, and give unselfishly of themselves. Everyone helps in the healing process.

Nicely nestled among these duties surrounding "patient care" is spirituality. Just because someone has surgery or has a disease does not mean that their "spirit" is sick. I have been taught many important lessons in spiritual well-being from the patients. Years ago, a long-term cancer patient began to decline rapidly. After our short visit, I asked if I could pray for him to feel better. He said, "No. Please pray for my nephew. He is always in trouble and I worry about him." I could have completely missed the opportunity to help him if I had not taken the time to listen to his need. Sometimes it is what the patient brings that teaches us.

Spirituality is part of our jobs; part of our lives. Pass a patient’s room and see a staff member taking some time to listen to a patient’s spiritual need or to pray for a patient. See doctors and nurses praying with their patients as well as volunteers, housekeepers, food service or medical support staff. Walk the halls and see a Priest, Imam, Pastor, Rabbi or religious leader in our corridors. Pass offices and walkways and see the symbols of faith. In an office there may be an icon by the computer screen. Someone else may wear a cross or Star of David. In another office or room a rosary or prayer beads can be seen in a near-by dish. Spiritual symbols appear on everything from lapels to car bumpers. The various spiritual expressions that we hold so dear are thick with meaning and keep us in touch with the source of our spiritual well-being.

Even in the absence of visual symbols, spirituality abounds. One’s life is a spiritual symbol. It is not something that we put on or take off like a coat, a necklace, or sneakers. Spirituality is a way of being that guides and informs us in how we approach everyday life and experiences.

At some level, we are all spiritual beings, even as healthcare professionals. Each of us is like the facet of a prism. Once the light shines on the prism, the whole spectrum of colors breaks forth to announce the unspoken and the unseen.