Patients refusing to see Chaplains. What to do?

“What should you do when a patient refuses the chaplain?” One of my viewers asked this recently, and it’s a question every chaplain has to wrestle with at some point. In this video, I’m sharing the practical, patient-honoring strategies I use to ensure that more than 80% of my new admits are still able to receive spiritual care — even when the first answer is “no.” Not by coercion, not by insisting, but by approaching each person with curiosity, dignity, and an awareness of the sacred complexity of their lives. A refusal isn’t always rejection. Sometimes it’s a boundary, sometimes it’s grief speaking, and sometimes it’s simply a moment that needs gentleness instead of urgency. If you’re a new chaplain, a CPE student, or discerning your call to this work, I hope this gives you language, confidence, and a few grounded tools as you navigate those moments. #HospiceChaplain #SpiritualCare #Chaplain #chaplaincy #hospice